650: True face - Part 2

True face - Part 2

'Damn.' Joshua muttered to himself as he scrutinized the picture. Even though he had already seen the picture before, he was still spooked by it. But he controlled himself and stared at Noah, who seemed to have gone into a trance all of a sudden.1

'I did not expect the matter to come out before Noah this way. Damn it.' He cursed on his mind and pursed his lips, not at all liking how things had turned out to be. And even more so when he recalled Oliver's words.

Joshua could not accept the fact that Noah's grandfather, Jonathan Carter was involved in matters like these. Heck, he could not believe it at all. It was impossible. The man he had admired since he was young had such a side to him. It was impossible to accept. Either Oliver was mistaken or Jonathan actually....

Joshua shook his head when the thought entered his mind. His frustration only increased and he just wanted to escape from the situation he had been compelled to face all of a sudden. He took a step back instinctively when he sensed his friend's cold and frightening aura. 

Noah was dangerous when he was irked and right now, he seemed to be a raging beast ready to lash out at Oliver, who had dared to point fingers at his beloved grandfather. He glowered at Oliver but the man stood adamant in his place, not at all budging or even averting his gaze. Instead, he stared back at him with equal vigor.

Ivy and Aria were perplexed to see the sudden change in Noah, especially when they saw how frightening the man had become all of a sudden. Ivy signaled Aria through her eyes and Aria approached the man and took the photo from his hands.

"What..." She had barely started when she stopped on seeing Noah's grandpa. Too stunned to speak a word, she directly handed the picture to Ivy, who was as shocked as she.

"What's the meaning of this, Mr. West?" Noah's tone turned dark, downright threatening. Noah ignored everyone's gazes on him and walked to Oliver, towering over him, using his height to his advantage.

"I am sorry, Noah. This is the truth though. I am sorry for hiding this from you all this time." Oliver lowered his head in guilt.

"What are you trying to prove by doing this, Mr. West?" 

Oliver had not missed the way Noah was addressing him. And he understood the reason for the change. The young man was in denial and Oliver sympathized with him.

"I am trying to tell the truth, Noah." Oliver started, only to be interrupted by Noah.

"You are lying." Noah gritted his teeth as he tried to suppress his fury. Oliver was his beloved's father. He could not lose his calm and lash out at him even though at that moment, all he had in mind was to snap the man's head for even trying to blame his grandfather for something the old man did not even have a hand in.

"I know you are in denial, Noah. But this is the truth...."

"This is not the truth. You are lying. These pictures are fake. I know it." Noah stopped him again. "What are you trying to prove by doing this?"

"Excuse me?" Oliver was startled by his words and he looked at him incredulously.

"What is your motive in sabotaging my grandfather? What do you want to do?" His tone took a hard edge and he even did not mind his manners.

"Noah, mind your words," Aria warned him from behind. She understood his sentiments and his anger. But that did not mean he disrespected her father. 

"Aria, don't get involved in this." His tone did not soften even when he was speaking to her. Heck, he did not even look at her as he kept glaring at Oliver, who did not cower under her intense stare.

"You tell me, Oliver. What do you want to achieve by doing this? By pulling my grandfather into this matter?" 

"Noah, stop it." Aria's temper too flared up on seeing the way Noah was treating her father. But Noah did not listen to her whatsoever.

"Tell me, Oliver. What do you want to achieve by doing this?" Noah took a step forward and Oliver instinctively took a step back in fright. The man in front of him seemed to be different than the Noah he knew him to be. Even though he was courageous by nature, he was still intimidated by the Noah he was seeing at that moment.

"Noah, calm down. Listen to Mr. West first." Ian tried to ease the tension in the air. But his words fell on deaf ears.

"I thought you were a righteous man, Oliver." Noah continued to walk and Oliver continued to move back with every step Noah took towards him. "But I was wrong. You are nothing but a scumbag."

"Noah, mind your words." This time, Aria could not bear it anymore and she approached him and pushed him away from her father. "You are talking to my father. Bear that in mind."

"He is your father, that's why I am not doing anything. Otherwise, he would not be living to breathe for another second." Noah did not care how afraid Aria was on seeing him like this. To him, his grandfather mattered him more than anyone, even Aria. 

"Noah, if Dad has seen your grandfather at the meeting, maybe there is some truth in his words. Let us speak to your grandfather first." Aria tried to reason out, only for Noah to stop her.

"Wait a minute, Aria." Noah intervened all of a sudden and examined Aria. "Did you know about this too? Was it all your plan?"

"What?" Aria's brows scrunched up in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"Noah, what are you speaking?" Joshua attempted to stop before it was too late. But Noah was in no mood to listen to anyone.

"You knew about this, right? You approached me for a reason. Am I right?"

"Noah, mind your behavior. Aria knows nothing about this matter." Oliver's tone turned stern, not liking the way Noah was treating his daughter at that moment.

"I now get it. I now get it all. I do not know what Oliver has in mind and what plan he is conjuring. But it seems that you are involved with him too." Noah's gaze turned soft for a second before it hardened again. "I never knew you were like this Aria."

"Noah." Oliver could not bear to see Noah ill-treating his daughter and he held the man's collar in anger. 

Wrong move. That was all it took for Noah's last thread of rationality to snap and he punched Oliver in the face.

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