Chapter 5

At that point, Jeanne was stunned. She had never seen Nolan so fierce and vile. Was that what three years in prison did to him? The situation had turned unbelievable. Not only did he get physical and hold them hostage, but he also humiliated Chase by stepping on his face. "You crazy bastard! Let go of Chase now!" an anxious Jeanne screamed. Nolan narrowed his eyes slightly at her and uttered coldly, "I don't usually hit women, but it doesn't mean I won't. I don't know how much you were involved in my divorce with Megan, but I'm sure you had a part in it. "I don't have time to deal with you, so you'd better not provoke me. Otherwise, I won't hesitate to slap you." His words sent Jeanne into fury. He threatened to hit her after already bashing Chase. How audacious! Did he have the guts to do it, though? "Sure, Nolan. Come on. Hit me. Do it now! You selfish bastard! Using Chase as your punching bag, huh? Is that all you got? Sure! You let off your steam today, but what about tomorrow? I'm telling you—you're dead meat, Nolan!" Faced with her taunts and arrogance, Nolan sniggered. "Oh, the Turners… The family that rose from the ashes and turned into a bunch of ungrateful, cocky brats while I was away for three years. What about them, though? "What do they have to act so brazenly obnoxious and insufferable toward me? With their wealth? Power? Or with Megan's lack of gratitude and cold heart? "I don't care what you guys have. You want to step on my toes? Consider the consequences first. Now, you're allowed to take him away, but not until Megan comes over to apologize. Otherwise, nobody is leaving!" The title of the Turner family might threaten many people, but never Nolan. Excluding the fact that he was far from an ordinary person—even if he were, he wasn't subjected to their bullying and humiliation. They were a bunch of apathetic monsters! However, to Jeanne, the so-called apathetic monster who had crossed the line and acted like a bully wasn't Chase but Nolan. In her opinion, she believed Nolan should accept his fate of succumbing to their humiliation without retaliation. Yet, that was the opposite outcome. She couldn't believe Nolan had retaliated against them. She took a deep breath and suddenly laughed at him. "Great! You're finally showing your true colors. You're still hung up on Megan at the end of the day. Is that why you're pulling all these tricks to gain her attention? "You're not the same weakling you used to be. You want to be seen as capable because you can fight. "I'm telling you. You're a joke! You look like an utter fool doing clown acts right now! After all your antics, do you genuinely think Megan would improve her impression of you? No! She's going to despise you once she comes and sees this mess. "Don't you get it, Nolan? You don't deserve Megan. Get that into your head!" Those words prickled his heart. They were the ungrateful and cold-hearted ones, yet they thought they were the righteous, big bullies, while everyone else should succumb to their power. They were so shameless and lacking in self-consciousness that Nolan wanted to laugh. Was it necessary to become people who distorted the truth and blurred moral boundaries just because they were rich and powerful? "Your words mean nothing, Jeanne. If what you said is what you believe, then so be it. Now, tell Megan to show up if she wishes to take her brother away." Seeing how unfazed he was by her words, Jeanne became nervous and pointed at him, mocking, "You think I'm mocking you, but I'm actually saving you. Do you know who's under your foot now? Do you think he's still just Megan's little brother and the kid back then? "No! He's a well-known figure in the underworld, backed by Mr. Riley, the big shot who can influence the entire underground community. Do you even know who he is? He's someone who can easily summon hundreds of underlings in the underworld if he wants to. "To put it bluntly, if they were to kill a nobody like you and dump you in the river, it wouldn't even make a sound! Do you understand? "If you still can't comprehend his power, let's just say that his backing is the greatest tycoon in Bellington, the city's wealthiest man, Archie Baxter. Now, are you aware who you're dealing with?" All of those titles and imposing descriptions were merely to highlight Chase's current status in the city. At the same time, she was warning Nolan that he wouldn't be able to set foot in Bellington anymore because he had offended Chase. Unbeknownst to her, Nolan's expression slightly shifted into surprise and amusement when he heard about Lincoln and Archie. What would Jeanne do if she found out that the powerful Archie Baxter had called up Nolan earlier and humbly pleaded for his help? How would she react when she realized that even Amos, whom Archie regarded highly, had to act submissively toward Nolan, even going as far as owing him favors and a life? "You talk too much. Is that your attempt to intimidate me?" Nolan waved his hand and added flatly, "You did it. I'm so scared. Can you tell Megan to come over and explain herself now? Another unnecessary word from you, and I'll hit you in the face. Try me." After her relentless taunting, Jeanne was angered at that point. She didn't want to make that call because she was, after all, responsible for Chase's injuries. "You don't know what you're dealing with, Nolan." However, she immediately regretted her words when she saw Nolan approaching her full of hostility. "Hey, what are you doing? Have you gone nuts? Do you even dare to hit me?" Why wouldn't he? Without hesitation, Nolan landed a harsh slap across Jeanne's delicate face. Instantaneously, her cheek flushed with a red handprint. Of course, she was in pain, but she was even more baffled that he had put his words into action! "I've warned you not to say another word. Like I said, I don't see gender as soon as someone turns into my enemy. You'll get your rightful punishment, no matter if you're old, young, or a woman! Now, say another word, and I'll break your leg. Try me."