Chapter 220
"You can go back now." Michael raised his hand to his forehead.
The lawyer hesitated, silent for a long while before finally deciding to speak, "Mr. Smith, you've endured for over ten years already. A few more days won't make a difference."
Michael said nothing.
Over ten years.
Since he was still a child, certain seeds had already quietly taken root and sprouted.
"Michael, remember this. Mom will never commit suicide, never."
"Michael, Mom has you. I will never harm myself. Remember this—if something happens to me one day, it definitely won't be suicide."
Michael could never forget. That year, he was only eight years old. Nolan came home drunk and violent, leaving the house in complete chaos.
On that stormy night, Michael stood behind the door, watching Nolan strike Fallon again and again with a golf club.
His door was locked from the outside. No matter how much he cried and screamed, he couldn't open that door.
His fingers trembling slightly, Michael pressed his forehead, veins bulging on the back of his hand.
Childhood trauma really can last a lifetime.
"Michael."
Upstairs, Nora walked out barefoot, her eyes terribly red.
She cried out Michael's name.
Michael's thoughts were pulled back to reality, his chest tightening sharply.
Looking up at Nora standing upstairs, Michael got up and quickly walked up to her, "Did you have a nightmare?"
"I dreamed you died."
Nora was still crying, crying hard.
For Nora, the most terrifying nightmare wasn't Michael abandoning her, but Michael dying.
Because of her, killed by someone.
Michael laughed, pulling Nora into his arms to comfort her, "Been watching too many suspense movies?"
"I'm scared we'll push the Clark family too far." Nora was anxious and uneasy.
She knew Aria wasn't stupid, not like Pearl and Emma, those foolish women.
She was patient, good at pretending.
Once pushed to the edge, who knows what she might do?
"What about when others push you too far?" Michael scooped Nora up in his arms and carried her downstairs. "Instead of worrying about pushing your bullies too far, you should think about where to bite to kill in one strike so they can't bite back."
When venomous snakes attack, they always wait for the right moment to strike fatally.
When tigers and wolves hunt, they first bite through the throat.
Not giving the enemy a chance to catch their breath—that's true counterattack.
Nora rested on Michael's shoulder, thinking about his words.
A fatal strike.
That requires not just methods, but absolute strength and resources.
"The online public opinion can't be suppressed. Hasn't the Clark family fought back?" Nora hugged Michael's neck and asked quietly.
"Emma just posted, saying being a mistress was purely her personal behavior, nothing to do with the Clark family. She also said she and the Clark family aren't close, the two families don't interact much, and that she'll take responsibility for everything she said herself, pushing the Clark family's responsibility away." Michael's voice was calm.
"Internet users don't seem to be buying it." Nora slowly closed her eyes and spoke again, "Actually, how fierce the online uproar is only creates pressure for Mr. Nolan Smith. If, under such overwhelming public opinion, he still forces you to marry Aria, it can only mean one thing—the leverage the Clark family holds is more important than the Smith Group's reputation. It's Mr. Nolan Smith's life.'"
Perhaps the cause of Fallon's death and the evidence Michael had always wanted were in the Clark family's hands.
This was what Nora could think of—Aria's final bargaining chip.
But the Clark family didn't dare bring out this chip. Until the very last moment, they absolutely wouldn't use it.
Michael's eyes flickered, looking down at Nora.
She really was very smart.
"The Clark family is in medical equipment. Aria's mother used to be good friends with my mother, but later they stopped seeing each other much." Michael spoke in a low voice, kissing Nora's cheek, "Even if the Clark family really has leverage, they wouldn't dare bring it out in the open now."
Once Fallon's death was connected to the Clark family, they knew very well that Michael would take their lives.
"Mr. Smith, Mr. Nolan Smith wants you to attend this afternoon's press conference on time."
Nora didn't know how long she'd been lying in Michael's arms when David called.
Sure enough, Nora had guessed right.
Nolan still insisted that Michael get engaged to the Clark family.
"Are you going?" Nora gripped Michael's clothes tightly, asking quietly.
"Want to keep me here?" Michael smiled.
Nora sat on Michael's lap, lowering her head to bite her lip.
She really didn't want Michael to go.
Once Michael got engaged to Aria, it meant their relationship would have to end.
"How will you keep me here?" Michael's voice was husky as he lazily leaned back on the sofa.
Clearly, he had no intention of going, yet he still deliberately teased Nora.
Nora lowered her head, thinking about how she'd seen Emma acting cute with that man today.
Could she keep him here?
Stiffly tugging at Michael's tie with her fingers, Nora spoke quietly, "Can you not go? I don't want you to go."
She'd even created an excuse for Michael.
The Clark family was at the center of public controversy. He didn't want to drag the Smith Group into the mud. They could talk after the heat died down.
Michael just lazily watched Nora, as if it wasn't enough.
Clearly, Michael hadn't realized Nora was acting cute.
"Can you please not go?" Nora was getting anxious.
Michael wasn't responding, and her heart was panicking.
Nora's anxious look was a bit cute, her eyes red like a little rabbit's, yet sitting in his lap, squirming around nervously.
Michael took a sharp breath. Every time he teased Nora, he ended up tormenting himself.
"I cannot go, but you have to make a sacrifice." Michael raised an eyebrow, speaking meaningfully.
Nora clearly misunderstood, looking at Michael with reddening ears.
In broad daylight, how shameless could he be.
But she wanted to keep Michael here so badly, she could only take the initiative to unbutton Michael's shirt.
Michael's hand paused as he touched his own ring. He was just asking for trouble.
"Don't try to seduce me." His voice hoarse, Michael caught Nora's hand and slipped a ring onto her ring finger.
"The wedding band and diamond ring are still being designed. This is a plain band couple's ring. I picked it out myself." Michael held Nora's finger and looked at it for a while. The size was just right.
Nora sat stiffly on Michael's lap, not reacting for a long time.
Michael didn't give her time to react either. He took a photo with his phone—a close-up of Michael and Nora holding hands, two platinum plain bands, understated yet beautiful.
"Mr. Smith, what are you doing?" Nora's chest tightened, sensing something wasn't quite right.
Michael's lips curved up, smiling mischievously as he pulled Nora into his arms, "Don't worry, your face isn't in it."
He still had to protect Nora's privacy from harm.
"You're going public?" Nora was very nervous.
"Can't I?" Michael said in a muffled voice, "You slept with me and won't take responsibility?"
Nora bit her lip hard, "Although announcing the marriage could solve a lot of problems, like I just said, if we push the Clark family too far, they might do something desperate. They definitely have leverage over Nolan."
"It's not leverage over me." Michael said, sullenly. What did it have to do with him?
"But..." Nora was getting anxious, "But Aria has leverage over you. Six years ago, even if Aria schemed that incident, you two still had a one-night stand. What if Aria exposes that?"
Michael frowned.