Back at the office, Dahlia settled into the executive chair behind her desk. Her fingers drummed a silent rhythm on its smooth surface as she focused on the screen. The briefing from Lyra showed that pressure from Dash Corporation, backed by the Ballard family, was rapidly mounting.
After a moment’s consideration, Dahlia stopped hesitating. She picked up her phone, scrolled to a number she rarely dialed yet knew by heart, and pressed call. The line rang several times before connecting
The voice on the line was Natasha’s. Her composure was clearly forced, and the icy edge beneath it was impossible to miss.
“What a rare pleasure, Ms. Nicholson. Is this a call to flaunt the Mosey family’s influence, or simply to savor my current predicament?”
Dahlia ignored the jab, cutting straight to the point. “I’m not behind the troubles that your company is facing.”
A short, derisive laugh came through the line, heavy with scorn.
“So you’ve got the nerve to make a move, but not to admit it?” Natasha said. “Last night at the restaurant, you couldn’t get Dustin’s attention, and it bruised your pride.
“Now you’re pulling underhanded business tricks? Leaning on the Mosey family’s influence to squeeze my company. And you call that a strategy? That’s your famous Ms. Nicholson’s pride?”
“I admit.” Dahlia’s voice was calm and clear. “It’s true that I want him back. But I’ll go about it my own way, openly and fairly. I won’t play games behind someone’s back or use business pressure to get revenge. That’s not my style, and it’s certainly not how the Mosey family operates.”
“Who else could it be if it’s not you?”
Natasha shot back, burning with anger.
My team already traced the trail. Every single pressure order leads straight back to the Mosey family and a few of your outside operatives. The evidence is right in front of you, Dahlia. How long are you going to keep up this act?”
Dahlia’s frown deepened. The certainty in Natasha’s voice told her that the fabricated trail was disturbingly thorough and almost indistinguishable from the truth. That only strengthened Dahlia’s own conviction.
“My conscience is clear,” she said. “If I had done this, I wouldn’t deny it. But this matter has nothing to do with me, nor with anything I know of the Mosey family’s intentions.”
She paused for a beat before emphasizing, “Think about it. If I really wanted to target you, would I leave such obvious traces for you to find?
“Would I make a move so crude and self-destructive that it drags both our families into a public feud? All that would do is turn us into a spectacle and hand the real advantage to our competitors. What would I gain from that?”
Natasha fell silent. The possibility had crossed her mind, but it had been drowned out by anger and her own assumptions.
Hearing Dahlia lay it out with such detached clarity was a sobering jolt. It was true that, given Dahlia’s character and her formidable intellect, any covert move she made would never be this clumsy.
“So you’re saying…” Natasha’s voice was calmer now, edged with dawning consideration. “Someone is impersonating the Mosey family to drive a wedge between us,” Dahlia finished, her tone sharp and unwavering.
She continued, “The target probably isn’t either of us directly. They want to set our families against each other, weaken us both, and reap the benefits. Or perhaps this is a probe, a way to gauge the Mosey family’s strength while setting us up to take the fall.”
Natasha leaned back in her chair and rubbed her temples. The business world was a battlefield, and such underhanded tactics were nothing new to her. Yet the sheer ruthlessness of this move, and the perfection of the forgery, sent a chill down her spine.
“I’m inclined to believe you, for now,” she said. “But if it wasn’t you, then who? Who else has the reach and the audacity to issue orders that perfectly mimic the Mosey family’s authority?”
“That’s exactly what I intend to find out,” Dahlia stated. “Anyone bold enough to use the Mosey family’s name must have backing, or they’re extremely familiar with their internal operations.
“I’ll personally look into this and use every resource available to get to the bottom of it. When I do, no matter who’s behind it, I’ll give you a clear answer.”
“Fine. I’ll take your word this time, Natasha responded. “I’ll also keep digging through my channels. I expect you to follow through and get me results as soon as possible.
“Until the truth comes out, I’ll hold off on targeting your company, but don’t mistake that for inaction. That doesn’t mean I’m letting my guard down or stopping the investigation.”
“Got it,” Dahlia said firmly. “Keep me updated. If you find anything, let me know right away.”
“Let’s hope so,” Natasha replied, then hung up. She studied the tangled web of corporate connections on her screen, eyes narrowing. If it wasn’t Dahlia, whoever was hiding in the shadows was even more dangerous and unpredictable.
Dahlia set her phone down, unease settling in her chest. She had managed to placate Natasha temporarily, but time was tight, and there was no room for complacency. After a moment’s consideration, Dahlia dialed another number.
“I need you to look into something for me. The more detailed, the better…” She quickly laid out her suspicions and pressed the person on the other end to speed up the investigation.
Her priority was to check the Mosey family’s inner circle for any irregular personnel changes or data breaches. She also wanted to trace all external forces that had recently made unusual contact with them.
This mole had to be found, or the threat would remain.
