An Understated Dominance - Chapter 14

Dahlia was shocked. “We were chosen?” she exclaimed, struggling to believe what the general manager had just told her. He wasn’t just talking about her being on the candidate list; he meant that they had been appointed as the Harmon family’s partner! They had even skipped the final assessment. What was going on?

“Did you really mean that?” Dahlia asked, her voice quivering slightly.

“Absolutely. If you don’t believe me, you can come to our office tomorrow to sign the contract. I have to go now, so I’ll hang up,” the general manager replied and ended the call.

On the other end, Dahlia felt a mix of surprise and joy. She never expected everything to go so well. Just moments ago, the Jackson Group was about to be removed from the candidate list, and suddenly they were now partners with the Harmon family. It was all happening too fast.

She knew it had to be Chris’ support that helped her reach this point. The Nolan family’s influence was powerful. A single phone call had changed the Harmon family’s decision.

“Ms. Nicholson, what happened? Did the Harmon family change their minds?” Lyra asked eagerly.

“Yes!” Dahlia replied, smiling brightly. “The general manager of Harmon Group just called and said I’m chosen to be their partner!”

Lyra jumped up with excitement. “Oh my god! I knew you could do it!”

“It’s all thanks to Mr. Nolan. This wouldn’t have happened without his help,” Dahlia said gratefully.

“Exactly! Mr. Nolan is amazing! He solved our problem with just a few words!” Lyra praised.

“You’re exaggerating. It was my father who helped,” Chris said with a smile. Though he tried to sound humble, there was a hint of pride on his face. He was also a little surprised by the news. When did his father become so efficient?

“Dustin, did you see that? This shows the difference between you and Mr. Nolan,” Lyra said, looking at Dustin with a mocking smile. “Mr. Nolan could easily secure us a partnership with the Harmon family with just one word. What can you do?”

“Come on, don’t say that. At least he knows how to get along with people,” Chris chimed in with a laugh.

“Hmph, what else can he do? He’s completely useless.” Lyra’s confidence grew when Dustin didn’t respond. “It’s a shame the girl he chose isn’t here to see how worthless he is.”

“Are you done? If you are, step aside. You’re blocking my view,” Dustin replied coolly.

“Why? Can’t you handle a little criticism? If you had even half of Mr. Nolan’s skills, you wouldn’t care what others say about you. You’re hopeless,” Lyra sneered.

“Oh? Then tell me, what can Chris do?” Dustin asked, his face becoming serious. He liked to keep a low profile, but he wouldn’t let anyone insult him without a fight.

“Mr. Nolan got us the partnership with the Harmon family with just a phone call. If that’s not skill, I don’t know what is,” Lyra said, looking down at Dustin with disdain.

“How do you know it was him? What proof do you have?” Dustin challenged.

“Who else could it be? It’s definitely not you! Just look at your awful attitude!” Lyra scoffed.

“Hey, Rhys, what makes you think the Harmon family would change their minds if it wasn’t because of me?” Chris asked proudly.

“Exactly! The evidence is right in front of you. Why can’t you just admit it?” Lyra added.

“I would check the facts myself before thanking the wrong person,” Dustin said with a blank expression.

Lyra shot back, “You’re just jealous because you can’t keep up with others.”

Dustin shrugged. “Whatever you say.”

Chris, eager to prove his point, pulled out his phone to call his dad again. “Hey, Dad,” he said with a sneer.

“What is it now?” David’s voice sounded irritated.

“I just wanted to know how your talk with Old Mr. Harmon went.”

“What talk? I’m in the middle of a meeting. Don’t bother me with this nonsense!” David snapped before hanging up.

Chris was taken aback when his father abruptly ended the call. His confident smile faded. If his dad wasn’t going to back him up, who would? Was it all just a coincidence?

“Mr. Nolan, what did your dad say? We’re all ears,” Dustin asked with a fake grin. He sat right behind Chris and had heard every word David said. Chris’s shocked face said it all.

“Come on, Mr. Nolan, don’t hold back! Let’s show this guy he can’t compete with you!” Lyra encouraged.

Chris’s eye twitched, but he tried to stay calm. “There’s nothing to share. My dad confirmed he made a request to the Harmon family. He helped us a lot. Without him, Dahlia wouldn’t have qualified to be their partner!”

Dustin frowned, surprised by Chris’s stubbornness. How could he lie so openly?

“Did you hear that, Dustin? I told you so, but—”

“You didn’t believe it. What do you think now?” Lyra said proudly.

“Would you believe me if I said Chris is lying?” Dustin shot back.

“Dustin, that’s enough!” Dahlia couldn’t take it anymore. “Can you stop pretending? I know you’re jealous of Chris, but you can’t just spread lies about him! Is it so hard to admit he’s good?” She stood up and shouted, anger on her face.

At first, she didn’t want to argue with Dustin, but his stubbornness was too much for her to ignore.

“Jealous? Slander?” Dustin paused, looking surprised. “So, that’s how you see me?”

“Just look at yourself. Am I wrong?” Dahlia replied, leaving Dustin speechless.