The color drained from Jace and Tye's faces as they heard Nathan's warning.
Nathan turned his attention to Jace and looked him straight in the eyes. Calmly and collectedly, he said, “Your son broke the law, so he should face the consequences. Stop trying to bail him out by underhanded means. You should let him stay in jail for a few years to repent and reform. Also, let me warn you against making any funny moves on me or my family. I will make sure you regret it if you try that.”
He then added, “That's all I have to say for today. Let's not meet again.” Without waiting for any response from Jace, he turned around and started making his exit with Penny, Sean, and his entourage.
The Young Knives members instinctively reached for the hidden weapons in their jackets and looked toward Jace for instructions. They were waiting for his signal to go after Nathan.
Jace was still contemplating when Tye leaned forward and whispered, “Mr. Rivera, are you letting them go?”
Jace decided to bite the bullet and took a tough stance. “We are not done for today, Nathan. Do you think you can leave without any consequences after injuring my sworn brothers? Take them down!”
The Young Knives members drew out their hidden weapons and lunged toward Nathan and his family.
Penny's face turned ghastly pale, and Sean and the other Smith family members were all trembling in fear at the sight of three hundred angry men charging at them.
Nathan remained calm and composed. “Don't worry, my dear,” he gently consoled Penny as he held on to her hand.
His strong and comforting grip gave her a sense of security, and she softly replied, “With you around, I never have to fear.”
Nathan turned toward Jace and asked, “Do you think you are the only one who came with backup?"
Nathan's words stunned Jace, and his men also froze in their tracks.
“You can get them to come in now.” Nathan turned around and instructed Colin.
“Yes, sir!” Colin took out a walkie-talkie and gave the order. “Come in now!”
Clomp! Clomp! Clomp!
The sound of uniform marching footsteps echoed throughout the hall, and a few seconds later, a company of about a thousand fully-armed soldiers appeared before the stunned eyes of Jace and his gang.
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