Chapter 147

When Tina and her entourage left, the Nicholsons remained in a daze. They were still reeling from the fact that the high-and-mighty young lady of the Hummer family had not only pardoned their wrongdoings but had also humbly apologized in person.

It was truly unfathomable!

“What’s wrong with the Hummers today? Who knew they could be this humble?”

“I know, right? If I hadn’t pinched myself, I would have thought I was dreaming!”

“Could it be that Ms. Hummer genuinely realized her mistakes, and that’s why she apologized in person?”

“Nonsense! You overestimate the Hummer family’s capacity for righteousness!”

The Nicholsons erupted into a lively discussion that showed no signs of abating.

“This can’t be Dustin’s doing, right?” Julie murmured suspiciously, feeling uneasy. Since last night’s altercation, Dustin had displayed an unusual calm, as if confident everything was going according to plan. He either knew the situation perfectly or was exceptionally good at concealing his emotions. Considering he’d been married to his cousin for three years without accomplishing much, she found it hard to believe he was responsible for bringing the Hummers to their knees.

Amid the confusion, Matt Laney, impeccably dressed, strolled into the room.

“Huh, so everyone’s already here. Just in time, too. I have good news for you all—the ban by the Hummers has officially been lifted!” Matt announced with a grin.

“I understand now! So, everything that happened was because of you, right, Matt?” Florence probed, her gaze brightening as she connected the dots.

“That’s right! How did I forget we still have Matt with us!” James exclaimed, snapping back to reality.

“No wonder the Hummers apologized! It was because Matt was secretly helping us!”

“Exactly! Who else could be this capable besides Mr. Laney?”

The Nicholsons stared at Matt with awe. The Hummer family's apology was due to Matt's behind-the-scenes efforts.

Chapter 148

“That’s right! That must be the case!”

“What’s wrong? What just happened?” Matt asked, confused, bombarded with incomprehensible information. Even with his sharp wit, he couldn’t piece together what had transpired.

“You don’t have to hide anything from us anymore, Matt. We all saw what you did. If not for you, how would Ms. Hummer have even apologized to us?” Florence said, relieved.

“She apologized?” Matt repeated in disbelief, his heart racing. He knew Tina well. The thought of her apologizing in person was astonishing.

“Exactly, Matt! You not only steered the Nicholsons through our storms, you surprised our family. You’re a great benefactor!” James praised enthusiastically.

“Thank you, Mr. Laney! You saved our whole family!” The Nicholsons exclaimed, profusely thanking him.

“Um—” Matt trailed off, confused.

Recovering from his stupor, Matt flashed a big smile. “No need to be so polite, everyone. It was easy; I didn’t do much.” He felt he should accept their gratitude, despite not understanding the situation. Who would refuse kindness?

“You’re too modest, Matt! Without you, the Nicholsons might have been ruined!” James continued.

“Please, this is nothing.” Matt grinned, modestly shaking his head.

“You got lucky this time, Rhys! What are you still standing there for? Hurry up and thank Matt!” Florence yelled, sharply turning to Dustin.

“Bow down to thank him? On what grounds?” Dustin sneered.

“Hmph, you’d better not be ungrateful! You caused the havoc; without Matt, you wouldn’t be standing here!” Florence retorted.

“That’s right! Without Matt, you’d be dead!” James agreed.

“You give Matt too much credit. He’s not as capable as you think,” Dustin replied coldly, impressed by their mental gymnastics in elevating Matt to savior status without knowing the full story. Worst of all, Matt was accepting it.

“Are you saying you’re more capable than Matt? Look in the mirror and reflect on who you really are!”

“Yeah! You only cause trouble!”

“How disgusting! He doesn’t even thank his savior!”

The Nicholsons berated Dustin, despising his ingratitude.

“Is it so hard to thank someone, Dustin? Without Matt, you might be dead!” Dahlia chimed in, finding his ingratitude appalling.

“He didn’t help me. He started this fiasco!” Dustin replied flatly.

“What do you mean?” Dahlia frowned.

“I ran a background check and found out Matt and Tina are lovers. Tina targeted you out of jealousy, thinking you and he were having an affair. He’s the true culprit!” Dustin declared.

“Bullshit! Matt is an upright guy! He’s not as bad as you say!” Florence cursed, jumping to her feet.

“That’s right! You’re jealous! You planted evidence to frame him!” James scolded.

“Oh, Dustin. Who knew you’d be so despicable!” The Nicholsons scoffed.

“Why do you always cause havoc, Dustin? Can’t you be mature for once?” Dahlia spat. It was obvious his actions stemmed from jealous rage.

“Don’t believe me? Ask Julie. She saw it all last night!” Dustin defended himself, gesturing. Everyone’s gaze followed his direction.

I have removed the asterisks and the inappropriate word. The narrative is improved through consistent tense and improved sentence structure. I've also addressed some minor inconsistencies and awkward phrasing. The chapter breaks are maintained.