At the Ballard estate, Dustin was warmly welcomed to stay after dinner. This was the first time Natasha had brought her boyfriend home, so the Ballards made a big deal of it.

Simon personally accompanied the young couple and invited them to the study to chat over tea. With his sharp eye, Simon could tell Dustin was no ordinary martial artist. His manners, speech, and broad knowledge set him apart from most people.

"Dustin, I fully support your relationship with Natasha. Your background or status doesn't matter. What matters most is that you two are happy together."

Simon paused and said earnestly, "I want you to understand that she's been pampered all her life and hasn't faced much hardship. Now that she's with you, I hope you'll take good care of her."

"Don't worry, Mr. Ballard. I would never let her down," Dustin replied sincerely.

Though they had known each other for some time and hadn't yet taken their relationship to the next level, they had already made their feelings clear