Chapter 525 No One Can Leave
The hall was almost empty, just Nolan, Reese, and a few others left. Their presence alone demanded respect. Everyone knew these guys were big shots in Atlanta.
The staff wanted to keep things calm to avoid any trouble.
The sheriff stepped up cautiously and said to Malcolm and Nolan, "Why don't you guys handle this privately? No one's seriously hurt."
He'd just found out the young guy who left was from the Hawthorne family, making things trickier.
Since the injuries were minor, it wasn't worth escalating.
Malcolm didn't want to go through official channels either; he knew the system too well. He looked cold and detached.
"Nolan, you don't want to go through official channels either. It's just kids messing around. Your people aren't seriously hurt. Let's settle this outside," Malcolm suggested.
To an outsider, Malcolm might've sounded reasonable, but he had no interest in making peace. Reese wasn't keen on it either. Nolan bullying Sebastian was a slap in Reese's face, and he couldn't let that slide, no matter Nolan's influence in Atlanta. Reese's pride was on the line.
Nolan, still holding onto his dignity, hesitated but then walked out.
Malcolm knew Nolan would agree; he wasn't one to back down easily.
Outside, Alyssa was talking to Sebastian.
Sebastian was curious about the beef between Reese and Nolan, pestering Alyssa for answers.
"What's the deal between Nolan and Reese? Did Reese steal Nolan's kid or something? He doesn't look old enough to have a grandson," Sebastian joked.
Alyssa was amused by Sebastian's wild imagination, almost wanting to poke his forehead and say, "With a mind like yours, you should write crazy novels. They'd probably be a hit."
Sebastian scoffed. "Who'd write that junk? Boring. My talent's worth more than that."
When Nolan came out, Sebastian almost went to punch him.
"Seriously, how old are you? Still arguing with a woman? That's just pathetic. No idea why your people respect you. Must be scared or something."
Nolan's face darkened, and he snapped, "Don't think you can do whatever you want just because you're from the Hawthorne family. Even if your father, Stephen, came, I'd still teach you a lesson."
Sebastian looked at Nolan with disbelief and a bit of disdain. "Yeah, right. Like you could ever talk to my dad. He'd probably ignore you," he shot back.
"Sebastian, shut up!" Reese suddenly yelled and smacked him on the back of the head.
Alyssa was shocked, covering her mouth. "Reese is too rough, slapping him like that." Even though Reese and Sebastian weren't that close, it felt like they were siblings in that moment.
Alyssa expected Sebastian to blow up. He'd grown up pampered and wasn't used to being treated like this.
But to her surprise, Sebastian didn't get mad. Instead, he gave Reese a look that was a mix of innocence and charm, a bit hurt but undeniably cute. "Reese, if you mess up my head, you gotta take responsibility."
"Shut up. I'll have Alyssa take you home first. Otherwise, your mom will send bodyguards to beat me up."
Reese was genuinely annoyed. Sebastian meant well but always caused trouble. She was shocked and worried when she heard he confronted Nolan for her.
She feared if something happened to Sebastian because of her, she'd feel guilty and couldn't face the Hawthorne family.
Sebastian chuckled, looking at Reese with dependence. "Don't worry. If my mom comes after you, I'll protect you."
Reese didn't doubt it. Sebastian dared to confront Nolan, but she knew they were no match for Nolan's connections. Nolan probably held back because of the Hawthorne family; otherwise, Sebastian might already be in the hospital.
Nolan was fuming. He'd never seen such arrogance. "Are you so backed up that you don't even know your own last name?"
"My last name is Hawthorne," Sebastian replied sincerely.
Nolan was speechless. These kids had no clue about the real world.
Seeing the argument going nowhere, Reese decided to cut through the tension. "Nolan, if you want to point fingers, we're right here. But think about what you did first. Sending those thugs after us on the highway put our lives in danger. The DOT has the proof. Do you really want to make this worse?"
Nolan caught the meaning in Reese's words, and the atmosphere grew tense.
"So, you want to go against me?" he asked.
Reese replied calmly, "I'm just saying, if you insist on pushing this, we won't back down. Sebastian is the most favored son of the Hawthorne family. With the Flynn family and me, are you sure you can handle that, Nolan?"
Her words were extremely bold, almost like rubbing Nolan's face in the dirt.
Nolan was furious but had no way to deal with Reese at the moment. He never expected the person he once admired for her ability and intelligence would become his strongest opponent.
But having made it this far, he wasn't afraid, especially since Reese was so arrogant. If he didn't teach them a lesson today, it would be hard to curb their arrogance.
"In that case, none of you are leaving here today!" Nolan roared.
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