An Understated Dominance by Marina Vittori

Don’t pick a fight you can’t handle.

“Think fast. If you don’t spill the beans, I’m going to use this poison for your extreme makeover.” As he spoke, Dustin unscrewed the bottle. He held it threateningly over Harper’s head.

“No, please! Don’t mess up my face!” Harper’s legs turned to jelly as tears streamed down his face. She pleaded, “Okay, okay, I’ll talk. Just put that thing away!”

“It would’ve been easier if you’d started with that,” Dustin said, putting the bottle away. After all, someone like Harper never changed unless she was backed against the wall. Harper gasped for air and composed herself. In a shaky voice, she began.

The story about Cinna goes back a few years. “One day, a stranger suddenly showed up at our door and chatted with my grandpa. I overheard a bit through the door.

“It turns out this stranger is the one who saved Cinna ten years ago.”

“Wait! Wasn’t it Dr. Busch who saved Mr. Shaffer?” Dustin interjected. “This stranger brought the critically injured Cinna to Harmony Healers. So, my grandpa treated him.

occasionally to secretly check Cinna’s

stranger?” Dustin’s expression turned serious. He’d always thought Brooke saved Cinna, but it

don’t know,” Harper shook

grandpa told me to

stranger telling my grandpa that Cinna’s identity had to be protected at all costs. If anyone comes looking for Cinna, my grandpa should inform this stranger immediately

this. It was clear that Brooke was keeping a secret or hadn’t completely trusted Dustin

had a gut feeling that finding this mysterious person would

asked again. “Oh, yeah! I remember my grandpa referring to this person as

“Mr. Judd?”

in Oakvale

at Harper for a few seconds, making sure she wasn’t lying. “Okay, based on the information you’ve given,

in the future, you both better behave. If you try any