My Formidable Husband

Chapter 43 An Unexpected Outcome

Every eye was on Christopher, Amanda, and Daniel as they disappeared from the stage. Blinking and staring as if rousing from a dream, the crowd below did not leave as they were intent on discovering why Centurion Corporation would select a nearly worthless company to do business with.

They're only worth a hundred thousand! If somebody had told us this, we would have called them crazy.

Unfortunately, that ludicrous statement became a reality. Centurion Corporation was one of the largest companies in Jadeborough.

Jared slumped into his seat. Having been the center of the audience's adoration a few minutes ago, he was now the biggest joke.

He did not leave because he thought it was all just a nightmare. It was inconceivable that a loser like Christopher beat him.

Fabian, Fabio, and several other younger members of the Murray family looked as downcast as he. None of them imagined that a military veteran like Christopher, who had no power or prestige, would dare strike back against Cordrington Corporation.

Frank still had not regained his composure. "Did we really win the bid, Julianna?" he asked in a trembling voice.

"We did, Dad! We beat Cordrington Corporation!" Julianna squealed as tears streamed down her eyes.

It had been a difficult feat for her.

Knowing Jared, she felt it very likely that he would have used his partnership with Centurion Corporation to squeeze her family for their land once he obtained the cooperation project. Cordrington Corporation alone was already a terrifying enough force. Her family would have been a sitting duck once Jared was granted access to Centurion Corporation's resources. Fortunately, Christopher took that opportunity from him.

He is our savior!

"Let's go assess the situation. I don't want to be here." Not wishing to remain with Jared and his group for another second longer, Julianna hurriedly grabbed her father's hand and headed backstage.

Seated in his office at Cordrington Corporation, Harold was still unaware of the news on site. As was his habit, he took a sip of coffee and perused the stock market. He entered Cordrington Corporation's stock code to check if it had risen or fallen that day. After all, their stock had been rising steadily since the release of the news several days ago.

Harold froze as soon as the page loaded and let his cup of coffee fall with a clatter, for Cordrington Corporation's stock had plummeted.

"What's going on?" Being the chairman of Cordrington Corporation, Harold was clever enough to realize at once that there must have been a problem at the venue. Without wasting another second, he dialed his son's number. "What's going on, Jared?" he demanded. "How did our stock price fall by that much?"

Harold's call destroyed every trace of hope in Jared. This is not a dream after all. I have lost to that low-life, Christopher.

Jared's anguished response came over the phone. "I'm sorry, Dad. I screwed up! I can't believe I lost to that piece of trash from the Murrays. I don't know how he did it, but he secured the project with Centurion Corporation. I've let you down by losing to a worthless shell company."

The loss had been such a blow that Jared's self-esteem shattered.

Harold was about to question his son further, but the pain in the younger man's voice caused his heart to ache. "We haven't lost yet," he said in a low voice. "We still have Mr. Davis. Though they have managed to secure the partnership with Centurion Corporation, they are still subjected to Mr. Davis' supervision. A word from Mr. Davis can complicate matters for this shell company."

Harold's words ignited a glimmer of hope in Jared. His expression relaxed as his face regained a little color. "I understand, Dad," he said solemnly.

"I have faith that you'll be up for the task." Harold nodded. "We have nothing to fear as long as we have Mr. Davis' assistance."

After the initial shock had worn off, he regained confidence in the power of Cordrington Corporation to undo the outcome of their defeat against a shell company worth merely a hundred thousand.

"I will, Dad. Don't worry." Jared's confidence had been restored as well. So what if Christopher secured the partnership first? The higher he climbs, the harder he'll fall. The mental image of Christopher's tragic death in Jared's mind's eye cheered him up immensely.

Fabio sensed the change in Jared's mood. "Is there a solution, Mr. Cordrington?" he asked in a low voice.

"Just you wait," Jared said, a plan of retaliation against Christopher already formed in his mind.

Meanwhile, Amanda, Daniel, and Christopher entered the living room of the presidential suite of Centurion Hotel.