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An Understated Dominance Chapter 497
Dahlia couldn't help but frown when she stared at the unbothered faces of the people around her as they chatted away merrily. She made sure to arrive earlier for the board meeting, so Hank's accusation of tardiness was absolutely baseless. From the moment she entered the room, the attendees remained seated. No one stood up to greet her—not even saving a seat for her. Clearly, they did not take her seriously."Hank, what's this supposed to mean?" She whispered while keeping her composure. She knew that Hank was laying down the law from day one."What do you mean?" Hank lit himself a cigar and crossed his legs on the table, seemingly treating the meeting room as his own office."I am sure you have received the news from the family's patriarch. I'm the new chairman of Nicholson Corp. as of today." Her voice was laced with warning."And?" He gave her a mocking smirk."You are in my seat. You've crossed a line here." She rapped her knuckles on the table."Your seat? Do you have eviden
An Understated Dominance Chapter 498
"You may resign if you wish, but that doesn't mean you won't be held accountable for your dishonest practices in the past." Dahlia proceeded coldly. "Mr. Levin, if I recall correctly, you dipped your hands into 20 million worth of company funds, and you have not paid it back yet. For this, you will need to serve out a long sentence in prison."Hearing that, a man with a bald spot who stood as the head of the group leaving instantly froze and sweated profusely. He wondered how Dahlia learned about his action when he made sure he carried out the crime seamlessly.She ignored his question and continued, "Ms. Wagner, as the Director of Finance, you are in the greatest trouble. The company makes profits annually, but after you took charge, the books showed that we were making losses. Not only that, you have been asking the headquarters for money for your personal use. Your greed knows no bounds!""Y—you! That's nonsense!" A woman dressed luxuriously suddenly screamed at Dahlia, resembl
An Understated Dominance Chapter 499
"Oh? Mr. Hoffman, what brilliant ideas do you have now?" Dahlia asked. She had collected evidence against most of the senior executives except for him. That did not mean Hank Hoffman was innocent. Instead, he covered his tracks very well, to the point that his misdeeds couldn't be traced back to him."On the topic of brilliant ideas, I do have some advice for you." With a cigar in his mouth, he went on, "To be our chairman, you need to build your reputation and capability. In short, you'll need to make profits. That way, we will approve of you."The executives all nodded upon hearing that. Money makes the world go round. Their ultimate goal was to profit more."I have enough confidence in myself to take up the role of the chairman," she answered nonchalantly. "I can't promise you much, but now that I'm the chairman, all the senior executives here will see a salary increase of 50% and a 20% increase in their annual bonuses. How does that sound?"The people started murmuring among th
An Understated Dominance Chapter 500
When they took a better look, they realized that it was Julie Amberson. "Dustin, why are you here?" Julie was surprised when she spotted him."Why can't I be here? I'm the Chief Security Officer." Dustin grabbed an apple and munched on it."Chief Security Officer? Dahlia, are you serious? I'm just a secretary, but you appointed him as chief officer. Why?" Julie was aghast."I don't need to explain my decisions to you," Dahlia snapped at her with a stern look. "By the way, I'm surprised that you can still call yourself a secretary. You were 32 minutes late on your first day at the job. How unprofessional of you!" She gave Julie a chance to grow and improve her skills after being pestered by Florence and her aunt on the matter, but she was disappointed by Julie's attitude."I was stuck in traffic just now. I had no choice! Anyway, I was only late for half an hour. That's not a big deal, is it?" Julie did not take it seriously."Did I not ask you to wait in the meeting room with
An Understated Dominance Chapter 501
Julie was taken aback before she collected herself and stared at Dustin like he was an idiot. "Are you, now? Dustin, can you stop bluffing? Who do you think you are? The audacity to claim that you're the leader of the gang!""Dustin quit it. You need to behave." Dahlia glared at him. She didn't look convinced either. After all, Dustin had only arrived in Millsburg a few days ago. It was impossible to claim the leadership position within that time frame."Why would I lie to you about this? If you don't trust me, just go with me to the Flame Dragon Gang. I'll get your money back for you," Dustin swore."Hmph! Do you take us as fools? We'll die if we ask the gang for our money back!" Julie told him off."Whatever. How about I go to the Flame Dragon Gang headquarters alone without the two of you?" He couldn't be bothered to argue with the ladies, and he thought they were overreacting to a small issue."Wait! I'll go with you." Dahlia sprang up when she noticed that Dustin was leaving.
An Understated Dominance Chapter 502
Dahlia might have the backing of Regulus Nicholson, but the patriarch in Glenstead was too far away from Balerno to pose any threat."Oh, it shouldn't be a problem if she's nothing special." Nelson chuckled. "She'd better not show up! If she ever does, I'll make it tough on her!" It was simply ridiculous for a person who wasn't rich or powerful to demand money from him."Lord Horst, I'll have to trouble you for this. When it's done, I'll send you a gift." Hank bowed to Nelson."Haha! Not a problem. We're brothers. Take it easy." A wide smile appeared on Nelson's face. Based on his past experiences, the mention of a "gift" would imply at least a million dollars in monetary reward."Lord Horst …" One of Nelson's men knocked on the door during the conversation. Nelson raised his brows unhappily. "What? Can't you see that I'm in a business meeting with my client?""A few visitors demanded to see you. They would like you to pay your debts," the man reported the situation."Oh, they su
An Understated Dominance Chapter 503
"What?" The man was in a state of confusion after being slapped. He held his cheek, looking lost. The other men exchanged looks of shock. No one had expected that outburst from Nelson, who one second ago was screaming about slashing the visitors. And the next second, Nelson appeared frightened, as though he saw ghosts. What was going on?"What are you doing there? Hurry up and get me the check!" Nelson gave the frozen man a nervous kick."Okay …" The man hurriedly stumbled his way back to the office. He had no clue about the situation, but one thing was for sure—Lord Horst was fearful.During the wait, Nelson went up to Dustin and squeezed an apologetic smile. "Sir Rhys, when did you arrive? You should have informed me earlier, so I could send someone to pick you up.""Sir Rhys?" Dahlia and Julie were stunned by Nelson's obsequious behavior. They looked at each other in disbelief. Why would the cruel Lord Horst of the Flame Dragon Gang act in such a humble manner after meeting Dust
An Understated Dominance Chapter 504
"Have a good day, Sir Rhys!" Nelson bowed deeply to the trio as they left."Have a good day, Sir Rhys!" The members of the Flame Dragon Gang mimicked Nelson and chanted loudly. Hank had run down to the first floor from his viewing point when he figured that something was off. He confronted Nelson. "Lord Horst, what's wrong? Why did you pay her back?"Nelson had promised to teach Dahlia a lesson, but upon the meeting, Nelson obediently paid the debts without a word of protest. Since when were the Flame Dragon Gang such losers?"Oh, 'why' you fucking ask?" Nelson turned around and glowered as he hissed, "Did you know who's the guy beside that lady just now?""Wasn't he just a bodyguard? What's so special about that?" Hank frowned, confused by Nelson's reaction."Just a bodyguard?!" After the initial shock, Nelson smacked Hank hard on the back of his head and rebuked, "You blind fuckwit! That's our new gang leader!""What? Your new gang leader?" Hank was stunned."Son of a bitch!
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Chapter 2530
The next morning, Nathaniel was inside a lavish mansion. He was in his study, flipping through an ancient manuscript. One of his most trusted aides hurried in and lowered his voice, "Your Royal Highness, word just came in. Another trace of Dracan essence has been found."Nathaniel raised an eyebrow and closed the manuscript. "Where?""Our investigation shows it ended up in the hands of Logan Rhys," the aide replied."Logan Rhys?" Nathaniel narrowed his eyes slightly and was surprised by the name.He had tried to win Logan over before and spared no expense, but never received a response. Later, he discovered that Tristan and Matthias had done the same.Fortunately, Logan still hadn't picked a side. He might be holding out for the best offer, but at least he hadn't shut the door on Nathaniel.With the Dracan essence in his hands, Logan had become an even more valuable target. In addition to the West Lucozian monarchy, Logan was an ultimate grandmaster, which made him worth recrui
Chapter 2529
"Give me a moment to think," Dustin said.Grace's words sent him into deep thought.After all, carrying the fate of Dragonmarsh was no small burden. First, he had to be tough enough to handle it. Then, he needed the resolve to accept what came with it. Once he carried that burden, it meant taking on a heavyweight.He used to act on his own terms and do things as he pleased without worrying too much about the consequences. But once the nation's fate was involved, everything changed.Not that he had many options.Dustin could either hide in Sacred Wrym Summit and hope Arion would protect him, or take a risk and absorb the Dragonmarsh's fate to push through his cultivation's bottleneck. Between the two, he was leaning toward the latter."I can give your plan a shot," Dustin said suddenly. "But we're still missing a piece of the Dracan essence. If we're doing this, we need to find that last one first."Only once all five pieces of Dracan essence were united could he truly wield the
Chapter 2528
"Royal gods? And two of them?" Dustin frowned at the news.His battle with Poseidon in West Lucozia had shown him firsthand that the Hall of Gods didn't send weaklings into the field.One royal god had already pushed him to his limit. If two came at him together, winning wasn't even the question. He'd be lucky just to make it out alive."That's right," Grace said solemnly. "The royal gods, Zeus and Hera, have crossed the border. They're even stronger than Poseidon. If they ambush you together, your chances are slim."She knew Dustin was strong, but he was still young. Moreover, Zeus and Hera weren't just anyone. They were world-class powerhouses. Surviving a fight with them would be next to impossible.The Hall of Gods had probably figured out how dangerous Dustin could become. If they had given him a few more years to grow, they might not have been able to stop him."Well, that complicates things." Dustin rested his chin in one hand with a thoughtful expression.Two royal god
Chapter 2527
Soluna Hall had one rule—they wouldn't accept unfamiliar customers. They only served those they knew well or people introduced by someone they trusted. Every transaction required an appointment. Exceptions were made for urgent matters, but those came with an additional fee.When Dustin reached the entrance, two security guards stopped him. After stating his name and being verified by the guards, they let him through.Inside, a female attendant with a pleasant smile greeted him and led him across the main hall straight into the back garden. They passed a small fish pond and stopped in front of a secluded private room."This is Ms. Linsor's private reception area. Mr. Rhys, please come in," the female attendant said with a smile."She's not here?" Dustin asked curiously."She had something come up, but she'll be here soon. Please make yourself comfortable," the attendant said, still smiling."Alright then." He nodded and walked into the room.The room was spacious, with a vintag
Chapter 2526
"You're wrong, Tristan," Matthias said with a meaningful look.He continued, "Sure, I've got the Moseys to back me, but I'm still far from securing the throne. Nathaniel's got strong backing too, and this won't be an easy win. But if you were to support me, I'd say my chances shoot up to 80%."In his eyes, Tristan's support was worth more than the Ballard family.If he could win Tristan over, his odds would jump from 60% to nearly 80%. The only question now was whether Tristan would be willing to shelve his own ambitions and place his bet on Matthias."You know me, Matthias. I've never been one for ambition or glory. This kind of power struggle just isn't for me. I hope you can understand that," Tristan said.After thinking about it thoroughly, he finally turned his brother down. He knew his chances of winning were slim, yet he couldn't let go.Tristan was the eldest legitimate son, the rightful and undisputed heir to the throne. Aside from his poor health, he had no real shortco
Chapter 2525
Tristan, Matthias, and Nathaniel weren't fools. They understood the unspoken message loud and clear.Their purpose for this trip was to take advantage of the opportunity to offer their condolences and win the Ballard family's support. Should it work, all the better. If not, they'd at least make a good impression. The key was that as long as the Ballard family didn't pick a side or turn against them, there was still room to make things work. No need to rush into anything.Tristan spoke first. "You're being too kind, Duke of Lachshire. We've always admired Mr. Jovian's loyalty and courage. We're simply here to pay our respects—nothing more."Matthias added, "That's right. Your family has a lot to deal with right now. Plus, you're not as young as you used to be, so don't wear yourself out over this. We won't take up more of your time today."He gave a respectful nod, then turned to leave."Duke—"Nathaniel opened his mouth to speak, but Tristan interrupted. "That's enough, Nathani
Chapter 2524
"Oh? I didn't expect both of you to be here," Nathaniel said.He was just about to pay his respects when he spotted Tristan and Matthias inside the mourning hall. He gave a respectful nod and said, "Hello, Tristan, Matthias."Truthfully, he wasn't surprised. He had already guessed they would show up.The four ancient houses and the eight great families were all key players he needed on his side. And with the Ballard family still undecided, he wasn't about to miss the chance to make an impression."I heard you left Oakvale on official business. Funny how quickly you came back," Tristan said, his tone laced with meaning."It wasn't anything important. When I heard about Mr. Jovian's passing, I returned immediately. I wanted to pay my respects in person," Nathaniel answered smoothly, without missing a beat.He brushed off Tristan's subtle jab and used the moment to show the Ballard family he was genuinely there to pay his respects."Don't just stand there, Nathaniel. Go pay your re
Chapter 2523
"Your Royal Highness, it's an honor to have you here," Jonathan said.Upon seeing the distinguished guest arrive, he quickly pulled himself together and aside his grief. He led his family to greet Tristan, and they bowed in respect.Before they could finish the gesture, Tristan raised a hand to stop them. "No need for such formalities," he said. "The deceased deserves our respect."He turned to Jovian's portrait, which was displayed in the mourning hall, and sighed deeply.Tristan continued, "Mr. Jovian's untimely passing is truly a great loss to Dragonmarsh. May his soul rest in peace. My condolences to your family during this difficult time."Jonathan's eyes were filled with tears as he bowed his head slightly. "Thank you, Your Highness, for your kind words. My family is heartbroken over my brother's tragic death."Tristan nodded slightly. His gaze quickly swept across the hall before asking, "I've heard that Duke Lachshire fainted from grief. How is he doing now?"Jonathan
Chapter 2522
The unrest in West Lucozia finally ended with the capture of Warrick.Every official who was his accomplice was thoroughly investigated. Those who needed to be arrested were taken into custody, and those who deserved to be punished were executed.After the purge, more than 300 officials in West Lucozia were removed from their posts. Those guilty were arrested, and those whose crimes were severe were executed.Under Austin's iron-fisted reforms, West Lucozia's government underwent a complete overhaul. Corruption, bribery, and the tangled web of illegal deals were swept away like dust in the wind.The citizens quickly noticed the difference. When they visited government offices, they no longer faced delays, refusals, or demands for bribes.Long-neglected public issues began to move forward, thanks to the organized efforts of newly appointed officials. Things were improving across the board.Instead of fearing the crackdown, the citizens welcomed it. The corrupt officials who had dr
