An Understated Dominance - Chapter 13

The hall was buzzing with energy. On stage, a group of dancers in vintage outfits moved gracefully to classical music, captivating the audience with their charm.

In the audience, well-dressed celebrities were scattered about. Some were chatting and clinking glasses, while others quietly enjoyed the performance. Dustin had found an empty seat and was sipping juice as he watched the dancers.

“Hey, Rhys! I didn’t think you’d actually sneak in here!” a loud voice suddenly broke into Dustin’s peaceful moment. He turned to see Chris and Dahlia sitting with the secretary.

“Ugh, what a terrible day. Why are you everywhere?” Lyra complained, clearly annoyed.

Dahlia said nothing. She shot Dustin a cold look and moved to sit in the front row.

“Hey, the charity auction is starting soon. Can you even afford to be here? Why are you sitting here?” Chris mocked.

“Who says I can’t sit here because I can’t afford it?” Dustin shot back.

“That’s the rule! People like you shouldn’t sit with us!” Chris replied, sneering.

“Are you deaf? Get up now!” Lyra kicked Dustin’s chair.

“What if I don’t?” Dustin looked up at her defiantly.

“I’ll call security to throw you out!” Lyra threatened.

“Go ahead and try,” Dustin said, unfazed.

“Fine, you asked for it! Don’t blame me when you’re embarrassed!” Just as Lyra was about to call for security, Dahlia intervened.

“Stop it. Let him be,” she said firmly.

“But…” Lyra frowned, clearly unhappy.

“Mind your own business,” Dahlia replied simply.

Lyra shot Dustin a glare and decided not to say anything more. Just then, her phone rang. After she answered, her face went from confident to terrified.

“What’s wrong?” Dahlia asked, noticing Lyra’s sudden change.

“Ms. Nicholson, it’s bad!” Lyra said, her voice shaky. “I just got a tip that the Harmon family wants to take the Jackson Group off the candidate list!”

“What?” Dahlia’s heart sank. “Are you sure this tip is trustworthy?”

“It should be. My friend heard it at work!”

Dahlia’s face darkened. She had worked hard to get the Jackson Group onto the candidate list. A lot of money was involved, and she owed many favors for this opportunity.

She had thought that since they had passed the preliminary screening and made the list, it would be easy to secure the partnership with the Harmon family after meeting with the Steel Lady. But now, just when everything seemed to be falling into place, they were in danger of being removed.

“Ms. Nicholson, what do we do now? If we get taken off the list, all our hard work will be wasted!” Lyra said, frustrated.

“Let me think…” Dahlia replied, her brow furrowing as she pondered their next steps.

Partnering with the Harmon family would boost their social standing and bring in more profits. The Jackson Group had grown fast, but it still lacked a solid foundation. A partnership with the Harmon family would provide the support they needed. Dahlia was so close to achieving her goal, yet everything was slipping away.

Just then, a manager from the Harmon family approached Dustin.

Dustin received a folder from his manager. “The Iron Lady wants you to review these documents and make the final decision.”

“What?” Dustin asked, looking puzzled.

As he opened the folder, his expression changed. Inside were documents about Dahlia and the Jackson Group. Natasha was indirectly asking him to decide whether to remove them from the candidate list.

“What is she planning?” Dustin wondered, feeling uncertain. He realized Natasha was putting this decision in his hands on purpose. She wanted him to control Dahlia’s company’s fate.

After some thought, Dustin decided not to remove them. Even though he and Dahlia were divorced, their relationship wasn’t terrible enough for revenge. They had been married for three years, and he genuinely hoped she would succeed in life.

“Mr. Rhys, are you sure about your decision?” the manager asked, concerned since he knew Natasha didn’t like Dahlia.

“Yes,” Dustin replied firmly.

“Okay. We’ll go with your choice.” The manager smiled politely and left with the documents. However, he felt that Dustin had missed a chance to win favor with Ms. Harmon.

Meanwhile, in the front row, Dahlia and Lyra were still anxious about the situation. They felt powerless to change the Harmon family’s decision.

“Ahem…” Chris suddenly cleared his throat to grab their attention. “Dahlia, if you’re worried about the candidate list, I might be able to help.”

“Really?” Lyra exclaimed, her eyes brightening. “Mr. Nolan, how can you help us?”

“To be honest, my father knows Old Mr. Harmon. If he makes a request, I believe the Harmon family will listen.”

“Is that so? That’s awesome!” Lyra exclaimed, her excitement bubbling over. “Mr. Nolan, if you can help us with this, you will be our greatest benefactor!”

“It’s not a big deal. I’ll make the call now,” Chris replied with a smile.

He laughed and then quickly dialed his father’s number, explaining the situation.

“Alright, I got it. I’ll talk to Andrew when I have time,” Chris’s father, David, said casually before hanging up. Thinking he had solved the problem, Chris turned to the group and said, “My father has agreed to help. You guys don’t have to worry. It’ll be over soon.”

“Great! Thanks to you, Mr. Nolan, we can rest assured,” Lyra said, letting out a sigh of relief.

“Thank you, Mr. Nolan,” Dahlia added.

“It’s a small matter. Don’t worry about it,” Chris said, waving his hand as if it were nothing. Then, he shot a challenging look at Dustin, who was busy sipping his juice and ignoring him completely.

Just then, Dahlia got a phone call. She glanced at her phone and saw it was from the general manager of Harmon Group.

“Hello, is this Ms. Nicholson? I have good news for you. The top management has decided to appoint you as the Harmon family’s partner,” the voice on the other end said.