Chapter 3

By then, Nolan had left the hotel and returned to the home he and Megan shared. Although only about 1,000 square feet, with three bedrooms, the place was extremely cozy and held many great memories. Yet, things were no longer the same. The visible layers of dust on all the furniture indicated Megan's long-time absence. Of course, why would a successful and wealthy CEO live in such a tiny nook? More importantly, she had shared this space with a convict in the past. Contrasting to her detachment, Nolan was particularly fond of the place. He took a wipe cloth and started cleaning the house. That was his home. No matter how dirty, old, or small, it remained his safe place. However, those once beautiful memories now became a stabbing reminder of how bitter his reality was. Unbeknownst to him, the brother-in-law he used to be fond of had now transformed into a different person. Not only that, but he was also on his way to confront him. Emerald Estates was a luxury residential area in Bellington, with each property valued at over ten million dollars. Chase and his parents had been living there since a year ago because Megan bought the place as a gift to her parents. "Mom, Meg has divorced Nolan, that piece of trash. But I think she gave him hefty compensation. I'm sure it's at least ten million dollars," complained Chase, who was sitting on the couch, to a lavishly dressed middle-aged woman in gold and silver accessories. His mother, Olivia Knight, widened her eyes in disbelief, screaming, "What? Ten million dollars of compensation? Is she nuts? Why is a criminal taking so much money from our family? "I would've given him a few thousand dollars at most. Any amount more than that is overkill! No—I have to call Megan and talk to her." Olivia's harsh and rude personality was something Nolan acknowledged but rarely experienced, and the reason was simple. Back then, the Turners could be considered an impoverished family, so much to the point that they couldn't even afford meat for a few months straight. Some would think that was a ridiculous rumor, but that was the harsh truth. It was only after they encountered Nolan that their lives changed. One could even say that he was the one who brought them out of poverty and gave them dignity. As such, Olivia had a history of toadying him, a stark contrast to her current attitude. Yet again, three years had passed, and everything had changed. Who knew how Nolan would feel when he saw her look of revolt? Chase looked at Olivia and stopped her. "Don't call her, Mom. Just leave this matter to me. That loser is as easy to handle as a child. Trust me. He won't dare to take a single buck from Meg." Olivia nodded in satisfaction. "You do that, son. You should scare him out of his wits! That henpecked bastard is such a loser that he won't even fight back if you hit him. Quick! Bring a few men and scare him off now!" Having received a green light from Olivia, Chase perked up cockily and said, "Consider it done. I'm now a somewhat prominent figure in Bellington, after all. "Alright! That's it. I'm heading out. Just stay home and wait for my good news." With that, he set out and arrived at the MPV parked outside. About five people awaited him there. "Mr. Turner, are we heading to finish up your brother-in-law now?" Chase scoffed at his words. "Brother-in-law? As if! He's just a loser. Now, let's go and give that bastard a lesson! Once we finish him, drinks are all on me at Lumina Nightclub tonight!" His words instantly sent a bunch of his lackeys into a stir. From the way they addressed Chase, it was evident they knew about his background. However, they were probably unaware that this young, wealthy man before them used to be a kid who couldn't even afford new clothes. Within 20 minutes, they arrived at Nolan's apartment. "Just wait for my signal later. If I say hit him, you guys bash the heck out of him without worries, alright? I'll handle anything that happens." Following that, Chase led the bunch upstairs and arrived at the doorstep. Without pressing the doorbell, he started slamming the door. "Open up, Nolan! I know you're in there. Don't even think about hiding. Open the door!" Meanwhile, Nolan had just cleaned up the apartment and was about to rest when he heard bangs on the door. The voice sounded aggressive but familiar. Instantly, he knew it was his brother-in-law who used to call him "Noli". He rose to his feet and pulled open the door, smiling. "Long time no see, Chase. You've grown taller and bigger. Must've been living nice, huh?" Faced with his courteous words, Chase nonchalantly barged into the house and pushed Nolan aside. The other lackeys followed suit and entered the place. Instead of taking their seats, they stood behind Chase like his bodyguards. "Stop with that shit, Nolan. You and Meg are divorced, and you're not my brother-in-law anymore." Nolan observed his cocky demeanor and frowned slightly. "Right. We are separated. So, why are you here? Did you miss me? I remember you were different back then, Chase. Why did you turn out like this?" His comment immediately triggered Chase into rage mode. "Shut the hell up, Nolan! Do you think I was still that weak and pitiful boy? I'm warning you. Don't even say you know me or tell anybody about my past. Otherwise, I'm slicing your tongue off!" At that moment, Chase resembled a cat with its tail stepped on, acting incessantly hostile. It was as if his past was a shameful memory to him. Yet, that was simply the truth. He had never mentioned his past and was always creating a persona of a wealthy man. Whatever happened in the past became a taboo too revolting to be brought up. That applied to many other people who tended to forget their roots after becoming rich. The only difference in this case was that Chase was more extreme. Watching the furious man before him, Nolan narrowed his eyes slightly and said coldly, "Slice my tongue? Is that how you talk to me, Chase? "Wow! I was being nice to you. You didn't greet me and instead brought a bunch of people to my house to pick a fight? What are you after? "Since we're cutting ties, like you said, why are you even still here? Get out of my place because I don't have time to entertain a stranger."