Flash Marriage To The Dangerous Billionaire - Chapter 41: Chapter 41

Excitedly, Dustin exclaimed to Hallie, "Look, I've found a new trail. Herb gathering in the mountains will be much easier from now on."
Hallie was happy for him, yet couldn't help but sigh as she scanned the surroundings. "Then how do I get you up?"
Only after Dustin explained did Hallie realize that he had rappelled down the cliff himself using a safety rope.
The earthquake struck without warning. At that moment, Dustin was surveying the terrain at the base of the cliff. In desperation, he could only take cover behind a rocky outcrop.
Luckily, although the terrain here was rugged with numerous ravines, it was remarkably stable and resistant to collapse—that was how Dustin managed to survive.
It was only because of the earthquake that the safety rope fell down the cliff, leaving Dustin stranded there.
Fortunately, Hallie had packed a safety rope in her backpack.
Nelson asked, "You know each other?"
Nelson clearly noticed the genuine smile in Hallie's eyes—a warmth quite unlike her usual polite grin.
There was an unusual edge in his questioning tone.
Hallie didn't notice his odd tone. She simply nodded, a faint smile curving her rosy lips.
She replied, "We've known each other since childhood. He's Mr. Daniel Mooney's only son.
"After graduating from college, he returned to his hometown, determined to use his knowledge to map out this primeval forest—making it easier for herb gatherers to find their way."
It was evident from Hallie's tone that she held a hint of admiration for Dustin.
Before coming to Kerriston, Nelson had already done his homework and looked into everything about this place.
Kerriston boasted more than a dozen century-old pharmaceutical families, but the Mooney and Garcia families wielded the most influence—they dominate all of the city's traditional herb exports.
Yet these premium-quality herbs were always sold at rock-bottom prices.
For all their century-old pharmaceutical legacies, these families had accumulated a pitifully meager amount of capital.
No wonder the entire Kerriston still lived like cavemen to this day, stubbornly clinging to those primitive, backbreaking herb-gathering methods.
Thanks to the specially installed weight-distributing gears on the safety rope, Hallie was able to pull Dustin up with little effort.
As he struggled, Dustin asked from below, "Hallie, did you come all the way here just to find me?"
"Of course," Hallie replied as she untied the rope from the tree, completely missing the underlying meaning in Dustin's words.
A faint smile surfaced on Dustin's face at these words, his gaze resting on Hallie with undisguised affection.
A piercingly cold gaze pierced through him like needles. Dustin turned and saw an extraordinarily handsome man fixing him with an unblinking stare.
Dustin asked, "Hallie, who's this gentleman?"
"My friend," she replied.
Hallie noticed how easily the word "friend" rolled off her tongue now.
Though Nelson was a complete stranger to Dustin, Dustin could clearly sense the subtle yet palpable scrutiny and underlying hostility in Nelson's gaze.
Moreover, when Hallie answered just now, her voice noticeably dipped. She called him a friend, but the atmosphere between them was anything but friendly—as if they were locked in some unspoken standoff.
At first glance, Dustin could tell Nelson was no ordinary man—he carried himself with an aristocratic bearing. Dustin wondered, 'How on earth did Hallie even get to know someone like him and become friends with him?'
"Hallie, it's rare to find a friend willing to come with you to such a dangerous place," Dustin remarked with a gentle smile, his tone warm yet subtly probing the nature of their relationship.
Hallie parted her lips, but no words came out.
Nelson let out a derisive chuckle, his tone laced with sarcasm. "Of course. Just for that, she really ought to be grateful to me, shouldn't she?"
Hallie held back her anger and shot Nelson a sharp glare.
Nelson watched her with unhurried composure, as if confident she wouldn't say anything that might make others suspicious about their relationship.
Hallie looked away, yanked her backpack zipper shut in frustration, and turned to Dustin. "Let's get out of here first."
Dustin wasn't slow on the uptake. Realizing there was some irreconcilable tension between the two, he wisely kept quiet.
Dustin would have left the mountain already if he hadn't been trapped below the cliff. He knew the way out clearly. Even though some sections collapsed, it only slowed his pace a bit.
Before long, he was walking side by side with Hallie.
Dustin asked, "I just saw a tent in your bag. Did you spend the night in the mountains last night?"
Hallie replied, "Yeah. We had a rescue team with us, but after Sergio, Zander, and most of the villagers got injured, they had to take everyone back first.
"Now that I've found you, we can spare the rescue team the trouble of coming back into the mountains."
Hallie filled Dustin in on everything that had happened, but Dustin's attention stayed fixed on that question.
"So... were you with him last night?" Dustin's voice carried concern, threaded with a subtle note of inquiry.
Hallie's expression flickered with discomfort. "Yeah."
A subtle, unreadable emotion flickered across Dustin's refined features.
Hallie didn't elaborate on that man, so Dustin knew better than to pry.
Nelson fell behind, his expression darkening.
The sight of Hallie and Dustin walking so closely together up ahead was an eyesore to Nelson.
Nelson hated being at a disadvantage—whether at work or even in something as trivial as hiking. He refused to let anyone lead the way.
With a few powerful strides, he cut in front of Hallie.
Hallie and Dustin came to an abrupt halt in unison, looking up at Nelson.
"It's too dangerous for you to walk ahead. Get behind us," Hallie said.
Still fuming, Hallie's usually cool voice now carried a commanding edge.
Hearing her, Nelson felt a sting—the tone really grated on him.
Nelson frowned as he turned back, spotting Hallie staring at him with a blank expression. Beside her, Dustin shot him a disapproving look—his so-called concern was nothing but a sham.
Standing side by side, Dustin practically radiated solidarity against him.
Nelson strode forward, stopping directly in front of Hallie. Towering over her with an imperious gaze, his thin lips parted as he commanded, "Walk beside me. Lead the way."
Hallie frowned, clearly reluctant.
Every time Hallie thought about how she'd spent the whole night in Nelson's arms, a wave of unease washed over her—especially after his biting sarcasm this morning.
This feeling wasn't disgust or aversion; it was more like a restless discomfort, as if she just couldn't get comfortable in her own skin.
Anyway, Hallie really didn't want to be anywhere near Nelson right now.
Noticing Hallie's visible reluctance, Dustin turned to Nelson and suggested, "Perhaps I could show you the way instead?"
Nelson was in an extremely foul mood—he couldn't even be bothered to look at Dustin. Drawling deliberately, he said, "I don't walk with strangers."
Seeing Nelson vent his frustration on Dustin, Hallie felt her anger flare up uncontrollably.