The Understated Dragon Lord novel Chapter 371

Avery burst out laughing, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Well, I'll be! I didn't realize you were such a smooth-talker, country boy. Did you sweet-talk Jessica into falling for you with that silver tongue of yours? Those lines might work on a naïve girl like Jess, but don't think for a second they'll work on me."

"Me? Try to fool you? Never! You're way too wise and experienced, I know I could never pull one over on you," he said with a cheeky grin.

"Cut the sarcasm, you country bumpkin!"

"Yes, ma'am! My darling mother!"

"Don't push me! You believe I'll tear you a new one?" Avery huffed, clearly running out of patience.

This country boy was a piece of work. Shameless to his core; nothing she said seemed to faze him. Seeing that her words were getting her nowhere, she decided to hurry him into the private room where Smart could deal with him thoroughly. She wanted this rural rube to understand that New York's elite were not to be messed with by the likes of him. The nerve he had to court her daughter! He truly had no clue what he was getting himself into.

At that moment, the door creaked open.

The room was called Beauty Valley, but as the door swung ajar, Daniel was stunned. There wasn't a single beauty in sight. Instead, what caught his eye were burly men with grim expressions – all muscle and menace. Anyone would shudder at their intimidating presence.

But Daniel? He was the picture of composure. There was not a hint of fear on his face as he casually surveyed the roomful of tough guys. He turned to Avery with a smirk and said playfully, "Mom, I thought you brought me here for some fun. Looks like you came to have your own kind of 'entertainment,' huh?"

"I'll 'entertain' you alright!" Avery said, seething as she kicked him squarely on his backside, sending him tumbling to the floor.

Picking himself up, Daniel rubbed his sore spot and looked up with a pitiful expression, "Mom, you hit me?"

"You've been calling me 'mom', so isn't it within my rights? I don't have a son, and if you keep it up, I'll treat you like one and give you a whooping!"

Avery might have looked fierce, but deep down, she somewhat enjoyed being called 'mom'. After all, she only had her daughter Jessica, who in her twenty-odd years hadn't called her 'mom' as many times as this country boy had done in just a few minutes. Yet, the nerve of him! She'd only met him a couple of times, and he was already calling her 'mom'. It was shameless.

She was thankful she'd had a daughter instead of a son. If she'd birthed a son as brazen as him, how embarrassing that would have been! She imagined she'd be so furious; she'd want to push him right back where he came from.

The burly men then split into two columns and stepped aside in unison, lining up neatly on each side.