Harris And Dominic's Rivalry

In the days that followed, Harris threw himself into his work, determined to ensure the stability of the Thompson Group of Companies. He also cherished the moments spent with Harriet and Mallory, finding comfort in their presence and the love they shared as a family. Although he couldn't spend much time with them while working on hitting a certain monthly revenue. As expected, the issue about Hudson Group cutting ties with Thompson Group escalated, even so, they are yet to get an official word from Nicole's parents, which was unusual. The Hudsons were known for being proactive in terms of their business. Nicole must take her words seriously in talking to her parents about continuing the merger with Thompson Group. Despite that, Harris expected the worst and is working on rising above all the possible outcomes. After all, he doesn't want to be involved with the Hudson from the very beginning. As expected, after a few tensions during Harriet's birthday other rumors circulated on social media. A photo of Nicole, Marian, and even Dominic was spread on social media bearing malicious headlines. One of them was about Marian and Nicole. "Why did Harris's mother and Nicole arrive on Harriet Thompson's birthday late and leave early?" According to the article, one of the guests could testify that there was tension during the presence of Harris' mother, Marian, and Nicole, who is technically Harris's fiance since they haven't formally announced their split. Another noticeable rumor was the post of one of the attendees, thanking the Thompsons for inviting her to Harriet's birthday party. The social media post wasn't malicious at all but the press made their way to create a story. "Does the heir of Thompson Group, Harris, have a secret wedding to Mallory Phillips?" Referring to the Thompsons on the post. They thought Mallory also carried Harris's last name. Instead of confirming it directly from them, the press chose to speculate. And lastly, another online news website released a photo of Dominic handing a bouquet of flowers to Mallory. With a headline that Mallory might have a new man in her life. Which doesn't make sense, having Harris in the photo standing behind Mallory. Clearly, some of the guests couldn't be trusted. They attended the birthday party to spy on their family. "Honestly, these issues are ridiculous. If only they were listening to themselves, they would make better headlines," Harris began. "After suspecting us of getting married, now they are suspecting you have another man in your life." "I agree. These people feed their family by all the lies they write every day," Mallory said. "I like the issue of us getting married, though. Do you think we could do that someday soon?" Mallory rolled his eyes, her cheeks blushing. "Shut up," she replied. But a giggle let out of her mouth, showing the opposite of what she said. Giving full hope for Harris to continue pursuing Mallory. In all of the issues, one thing was very consistent: the news hub plus, an online news website. They were one of the first to release rumors about Mallory, and Harris with the photo in the park leaked. The rumors from the same website have never ended since then. Harris took the initiative to handle the mounting rumors and negative publicity surrounding their relationship. He hired a skilled public relations team to manage their image, making sure that the truth about their family was known. He was determined to protect Mallory and Harriet from the harsh judgments of others. He instructed the team to do their research about a specific website. His blood boils to one article saying that there might be competition for Mallory's heart between him and David. "How dare they write such an article for Harris Thompson? They will pay for it." Harris vowed to himself. Days turned into weeks, and the relationship between Harris and Mallory continued to evolve. Despite the looming uncertainties, Harris remained persistent in his efforts to win back Mallory's heart. His gestures ranged from sending daily bouquets of flowers to sweet, handwritten notes expressing his love. Each day seemed to bring a new surprise, a new token of his affection. Mallory couldn't help but notice the change in Harris. He was more present in Harriet's life, and his commitment to being a loving and protective father was undeniable. He would accompany Harriet to school, help her with her homework, and even attend her extracurricular activities whenever he could. Their daughter had never been happier, and that warmed Mallory's heart. One evening, after they shared dinner together as a family, the topic of the weekly bouquet of flowers arose. Dominic admitted that he was the one who sent Mallory's weekly bouquet of flowers. And even after the birthday party, he keeps sending bouquets of flowers to Mallory which pisses Harris off. Despite Harris's displeasure of weekly flowers from Dominic he doesn't force Mallory not to accept it as he doesn't want to sound tyrant over her. Their relationship isn't formal yet, so he doesn't want to assert force and wants to give Mallory freedom. Especially since she keeps on insisting it's a friendly gift. Tracing back the history of them in St. David, he didn't think that's the case. Although Mallory made it clear to Dominic that they are only friends, that seems not the case for the persistent man. He clearly wants to rival Harris in Mallory's heart. "He is delusional if he thinks he has a chance." Harris thought. Mallory couldn't help but notice a hint of jealousy in Harris's eyes. "Are you jealous, Harris?" she teased gently. This is so out of character for Mallory as she never teased Harris this way. He chuckled, his blue eyes sparkling. "Maybe just a little. I can't help but wonder why Dominic keeps sending you flowers every week? He must be quite taken with you." As Mallory shared her past with Harris, her eyes glistened with a mix of nostalgia and gratitude. "Dominic was an extraordinary friend, Harris. He was there when I needed someone the most, and I'll always be thankful for that. Staying in St. David wasn't easy, especially starting a new life while pregnant." Harris listened to her story, his admiration for her strength and resilience growing with each word. He had been unaware of the struggles she had faced during that time, the depths of her despair, and the unexpected friendship that had blossomed. "Mallory, you've faced so much on your own. I wish I had been there for you during those times." Mallory reached for his hand, the love and reassurance in her touch palpable. Something she couldn't say in words. "Harris, what matters is that we're together now, and can take care of Harriet for her to grow up in a healthy environment." Harris nodded a sense of determination in his eyes. "You're right, Mallory. Let's focus on our daughter." His expression softened. "Whoever Dominic is to you, he's a lucky guy to have a friend like you. And I'm determined to outdo him in the flower department." Everything about Dominic doesn't feel right to him. His entire actions from the very beginning don't feel right for him as an ordinary friend. Besides, he is a man and he knows Dominic is not just up for friendship with Mallory. His blood boils thinking about the mere thing. Mallory doesn't belong to anybody else, but him.