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🕑 Added 2024-12-27 08:29:55 +0000 UTCWind in the Smoke
Chapter 77 - Things in Common
"Mr. Dutton, please, sit down and have a glass of wine with me." Eddie had invited Dante for a more private conversation to get acquainted with this new individual, who seemed far more dangerous than Susie and her family combined.
"Just call me Dante; it reminds me of my father, which is uncomfortable." Dante didn’t want to be addressed as "Mr." as it didn’t suit his style.
Eddie nodded, poured a glass of wine, and asked, "What brings you to London besides the fight involving Miss Susie Glass’s brother?"
"I'm traveling. I want to visit many places before heading back home, so I took advantage of the opportunity that recently came up." Dante looked at Eddie, who seemed nervous.
"That’s wonderful…"
Dante, dropping all formalities, said, "We have something in common, Eddie. We’re both willing to do whatever it takes to protect our families. In that sense, I respect you. But I want you to understand one very important thing: I’m going to marry Susie, and the moment I decided she would be my woman, I promised myself I would protect her against any adversity, no matter how great."
Dante took a sip of wine and then continued, "I understand you want to get out of this business, and believe me, I completely understand. But there are things beyond our control."
This was true even for Dante in certain aspects.
"She actually asked me to help her launder a significant amount of money, and that would be the end of it for us." Eddie didn’t quite know how to interpret Dante’s words, so he shared something about what they had been doing so far.
Dante could read Eddie’s intentions and also understand what Susie would do if this man decided to back out of the deal her father had made.
In the underworld, a business deal cannot be broken easily because mutual trust simply doesn’t exist.
The Glass family wouldn’t tolerate losing a significant amount of money. After all, $180 million annually was what this cannabis farm produced.
Losing $180 million wasn’t something they could tolerate in the slightest.
"You know what I think? I think you’ll love this business more than anyone else. You have that ambition in your eyes that you try so hard to hide." Dante could sense Eddie’s ambition, though it was clear he was holding back for his family’s sake.
"I don’t want to expose my family…"
"Then don’t tell them. That’s my golden rule, one I’ve never broken. Only my brother knows about my illegal businesses, but there’s trust between us." Dante trusted Kayce with his life, and Kayce had proven he was willing to do anything to protect him as well.
"I wish I could say the same." The truth was, Eddie wasn’t so sure he could trust his brother.
Dante simply smiled and said, "I’ll support you in getting out of all this. You could even consider selling me all your properties. When I marry Susie, I’ll put this place in her name, so there’d be no problems."
"That’s a very sudden proposal…"
"Just consider it. I just thought of it too." Dante had just considered this, looking at the beautiful estate where this mansion was located.
This was also one of the doors Eddie could take to exit this business and care for his family with the money he’d get from these properties.
The truth was, it wasn’t a bad option considering that this family had little attachment to the Duke title.
Now that he thought about it, this family reminded Dante a lot of his own, as the previous duke had practically sustained the family, and now they were adrift because the new leader didn’t know how to take care of their needs.
This made Dante wonder what would happen to the ranch once his father was no longer with them. Would they consider selling the ranch in parts?
Of course not. Dante wouldn’t let that happen, and if his brothers ever wanted to sell their parts of the ranch, he’d buy them and keep the Dutton legacy alive.
Perhaps that was the big difference between Eddie and him. After all, they were very different.
"I haven’t considered selling it, but if I do, I’ll make a proposal you might not be able to refuse." Eddie wasn’t sure how powerful Dante was. More powerful than Stanley Johnston? That would be difficult to surpass.
That’s why Eddie wouldn’t take any risks with this new individual.
If he wanted to protect his family, Stanley Johnston was the way.
Maybe that was his best option.
"Then I’ll leave you to think about your priorities, Duke. Have a good day." Dante also needed to prepare his men in case there was another assassination attempt against him.
This time, there would be no surprises—he would be ready.
