The Rise of a Master: It Starts With Rejection

Jamie and Heather held onto his hand, their little faces turned up towards Emma, eyes filled with eager anticipation. They were so irresistibly adorable, their gaze could melt even the coldest heart. Emma opened her mouth but couldn't bring herself to say anything harsh in

front of the children. She even wondered if Dustin had brought them on purpose.

Jamie looked at her, blinking with a hint of caution. "Mommy?" Emma's heart clenched, and she quickly crouched down, her eyes flitting back and forth between the two kids. "You've grown so much, and you're both so beautiful."

Seeing that she wasn't upset, the kids broke into big smiles. Jamie and Heather were now just over a year old and, thanks to good nutrition, they seemed to be developing faster than most, walking steadily without a wobble. Their speech wasn't quite fluent yet, but the word "Mommy" came out clear and strong, showing they'd been practicing at home.

Emma didn't really want to talk to Dustin, unsure of what to say, so she stood up. "I'll start dinner." Dustin quickly bent down to scoop up each child, placing them back on their chairs. "You rest, I'll cook."

Emma remembered Dustin's knack for cooking. He hurried into the kitchen, noticing how much the place had changed since his last visit. The house had been rebuilt beautifully, like a little slice of paradise. The fridge was stocked with fresh produce, and there was even a freshly prepared chicken, showing Emma had been taking good care of herself.

He washed his hands and got to work on the meal. The kids sat in their chairs, cheerfully calling out, "Mommy, mommy." Emma smiled, gently tousling their hair.

Two hours later, Dustin served up a meal of four dishes and a soup. The familiar aroma washed over Emma, stirring up memories from the depths of her mind. Keeping the kids in mind, Dustin had finely chopped everything and arranged the plates beautifully. The soup was thick, and he'd even made pancakes just for the kids. After serving them, he filled Emma's plate. "Emma, let's eat."

Emma lowered her lashes and quietly picked up her fork. Throughout the meal, Dustin was busy wiping the kids' mouths and gently reminding them not to be picky eaters. Emma sat there, realizing she knew little beyond nursing them. Barely touching her food, she went to wash the dishes.

Dustin tried to persuade her to sit down, but Emma insisted, making further discussion pointless. "Where's the bathroom? I'll give Jamie a bath," he asked. Emma pointed towards the bathroom, which was thankfully equipped with a bathtub.

Dustin filled it with warm water and placed Jamie inside. Jamie, with his long eyelashes, playfully splashed the water, giggling. Dustin's clothes got soaked, but he couldn't resist pinching Jamie's cheek. "No splashing, let's get you all cleaned up."

When Emma entered, Dustin had

his eyes, it seemed he came prepared. The bathroom was spacious, with an extra stool. Emma wanted to help but felt awkward. She held Jamie's hand, and he smiled

securely, gently drying him off. Jamie laughed, bare-bottomed in Dustin's arms, and

his hand, "Careful,

regret it

rolled around happily. "Daddy, daddy." "Stay here for

Chapter 873

figures emerged slowly from the

was nearly delirious with excitement from his position far away. Despite his men being scared off

happy?" his assistant, Eugene Klein, asked, confused by John's elated

should have fled immediately after the failure. Yet, here he was, practically dancing with

Those two are terrifyingly skilled. Felix won't make it out of this, so I'm celebrating early, Go on, open that bottle of champagne f brought. You

to get involved. At that point, the

two elderly men appeared relaxed and chuckled at his words. "Interesting," one said, while the other added, "The young man's quite confident in his abilities. No wonder the Elders 'Council asked us both to handle this-better safe than sorry." Felix was surprised by the news.

powerful auras emanated from the elders. They were bo Im, but their presence subtly made the ground beneath them sink by about an inch, and

experts? You really think that highly of me?" Felix said with a

finding it more delicious than ever. "That's right, Felix! How could you possibly

in awe. As a martial artist from Dragonia, he knew exactly what that level of power meant. He exclaimed, "Mr. Reynolds, you truly deserve

blood within a martial artist's body, gradually turning it into exceptionally powerful true blood. This process was so slow