An Understated Dominance Novel (Dahlia & Dustin) by Marina Vittori updated 2025-26 - An Understated Dominance Chapter 2620

Chapter 2620

When Grace and Logan led the rescue team into the slums of Wugang City, they were stunned by the horrific scene before them.

Inside the wooden walls, the muddy ground was soaked in layers of filth, stained black and reeking.

People were packed together like livestock in a pen. Their eyes had lost all light—just blank, numb stares filled with despair.

Many wore nothing but rags, some were shirtless, their skin clinging tightly to skeletal frames, creating ghastly outlines in the dim light.

An elderly man with gray hair curled up in a corner. His legs had begun to rot, and white maggots crawled through the open wounds. But he didn’t react. With mechanical movements, he clawed at the muddy ground with his thin hands and shoved chunks of dirt into his mouth.

Nearby, a young woman held her lifeless baby tightly. The baby’s face had turned a bluish-black, dried black foam clinging to the corners of his lips. The woman gently stroked the baby’s cold cheeks over and over, whispering, “Don’t be scared, sweetheart. I’m taking you home now. We’re going home…”

Her voice was hoarse and broken. Her tears had long dried up, leaving hollow, sunken sockets where her eyes once overflowed with emotion.

Not far off, several men fought viciously over half a moldy piece of steamed bread. Their faces and hands were scarred, but they attacked each other with crazed, bloodshot eyes—like that bread was the only hope left in the world.

Suddenly, one man shoved the other to the ground, then lunged at him and sank his teeth into the man’s neck. Blood spurted instantly, splashing onto the faces of those nearby. But no one flinched. They just watched, empty-eyed, unmoved.

Cold rain continued to fall. It soaked the weak, shivering bodies of the people huddled there.

A young man clutched a baby tightly in his arms, trying to shield the child with his thin, soaked clothes. The child kept crying—soft, faint cries like a candle flickering in the wind.

Panicked, the man blew on the baby’s tiny hands, desperate to keep him warm. But the cries got weaker… until they stopped altogether.

The man froze, then suddenly let out a gut-wrenching scream. His wail was so raw, so filled with pain and hopelessness, it shattered the silence of the slum like a knife to the heart.

Grace stood frozen, taking it all in. Her fists clenched so tightly that her knuckles turned white and her nails dug into her palms, drawing tiny beads of blood.

Her eyes reddened, tears brimming—but she refused to let them fall.

“These monsters…” she gritted out, her voice shaking with fury and heartbreak.

Even Logan, who’d seen endless bloodshed and death in his life, felt something twist painfully in his chest. The hellscape before him still made his stomach churn. Taking a deep breath, he steadied himself and said in a low voice, “We have to save them first.”

Grace snapped out of it. She wiped her eyes and shouted, “Rescue team, listen up! Begin rescue operations immediately!”

At her command, the team—already prepped and ready—sprang into action. Medical staff rushed in with supply kits, weaving through the crowd to tend to wounds and administer medicine to the plague-stricken.

But there were too many people. The medics were overwhelmed. The moment they helped one patient, several others would collapse nearby.

The soldiers transporting supplies were exhausted, panting heavily as they hauled crates of medicine, food, and clean water into the compound. But the supplies were like drops in the ocean—barely enough to meet the overwhelming need.

They had to guard against desperate crowds trying to snatch supplies while still distributing them quickly and fairly. Everyone’s face was tight with exhaustion.

Grace took charge, directing operations on the ground. She reminded the medical staff to protect themselves and ordered soldiers to reinforce the wooden walls to prevent further disaster.

Her voice had turned hoarse. Sweat beaded on her forehead, and her soaked clothes clung to her body from the rain and strain—but she didn’t pause for even a second. Her eyes were full of grit and determination.

Logan didn’t just stand by—he dove into the chaos, using every ounce of his medical knowledge to save as many as he could.

They had come prepared.

But standing in the middle of this living nightmare, even the best planning felt like it wasn’t enough. Still, they had no other choice but to push forward and save as many lives as possible.

This was a race against time—a desperate struggle to steal people back from the hands of death.

Under Grace’s command, the medical teams worked around the clock, trying to stabilize the wounded.

In the heart of despair, a faint glimmer of hope began to spread—and that hope was built on their blood, sweat, and unwavering will.