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Novel Catalog
Chapter_48
Mr. Brooks nodded and took out his phone, glancing at it briefly. “Yes, I’ve contacted them. They’ll be here shortly. But…” He hesitated before looking at Andrew and Micah. “We may need to be careful with how we approach them. If Noah insists on playing hardball, it could complicate things.”
Andrew rubbed his temples, visibly frustrated by the situation. “This kid is sharp. I didn’t expect him to be this cautious. But he’s right about one thing. If we don’t have the right clearance, we can’t just force him into cooperation.”
Micah, who had been observing silently, stood up from behind the screen. His calm demeanor contrasted sharply with the tension in the room. “Let’s give him time to think. Noah is no fool. He understands the stakes better than most adults give him credit for.”
Noah, still seated with his arms crossed, watched them warily. His eyes darted between the adults, his posture betraying no sign of fear, only a growing sense of awareness. “If you’re really trying to find the chip, you’ll need to prove you’re on the right side,” he said, his voice steady. “What’s in it for me if I help you? Just ‘cause I’ve seen something doesn’t mean I owe you anything.”
Andrew exchanged a quick glance with Micah, who raised an eyebrow but didn’t respond immediately. After a brief silence, Andrew spoke again, his tone softer, almost as if trying to appeal to Noah’s sense of fairness. “If we prove we’re on the right side, and you help us, we’ll make sure no harm comes to you or your family. We’ll get you the answers you deserve, no tricks, no games.”
Noah’s eyes narrowed slightly, as if considering the offer. “And if I don’t help? What happens then?”
Micah finally stepped forward, his voice even but commanding. “If you don’t help, we’ll still find the answers. But the difference is, you won’t have a say in how it plays out.”
Noah remained silent for a long moment, clearly weighing his options. “You better not be lying to me,” he muttered, almost to himself, before standing up from his chair. “Alright, I’ll help you. But if anything happens to my family because of this, I’ll make sure you regret it.”
Andrew nodded, a faint smile creeping onto his face. “That’s the spirit. We’ll handle this carefully. I promise, you’ll be safe.”
The door to the office creaked open, and a moment later, Noah’s parents walked in. His mother’s face was pale, and his father’s brow was furrowed in worry. The tension in the room escalated as they stepped forward, clearly unsettled by the scene.
“Mr. Clemens,” Andrew greeted, his voice taking on a formal tone. “Thank you for coming on such short notice.”
Micah, still standing quietly by the screen, glanced over at Noah’s parents. His expression remained unreadable. “We’re just here to ensure that everything is resolved swiftly and without complications.”
Noah’s mother, still looking anxious, approached her son. “Noah, what’s going on here? What are they asking you?” she asked, her voice trembling slightly.
Noah looked at his parents with a small, inscrutable smile. “They’re asking about the chip. I told them I’d help them if they prove they’re not the bad guys.” His voice held a strange maturity that belied his age.
His father exchanged a glance with Noah, then with Andrew and Micah, clearly caught off guard by his son’s blunt assessment. “We don’t need to get mixed up in any of this. We’re just a family. I don’t know what this chip nonsense is about, but we’re not involved in anything illegal.”
Micah’s eyes softened briefly as he studied Noah’s parents. “We don’t want to cause trouble. We just want to ensure that this… situation is resolved. It’s not about you or your family, but the people who are behind this.” He paused, his voice growing more solemn. “Your son might have seen something crucial, and we’re trying to protect him from getting caught up in something much bigger.”
Noah’s mother looked between the adults in the room, her anxiety palpable. “I don’t know what’s going on, but I trust my son. If he says he’s not involved, then that’s all that matters.”
Andrew’s expression tightened. “We’ll make sure nothing happens to him. But this chip… it’s tied to something dangerous. We can’t just let it slip away.”
Noah’s father shook his head, clearly unwilling to accept the situation. “You’re asking too much. Our son’s safety comes first, and I won’t have him dragged into something he doesn’t understand.”
“Mr. Parker,” Micah interjected, his voice steady yet persuasive, “This is about more than just the chip. It’s about protecting your family. If you don’t cooperate, others will step in, and that could be far worse for all of you.”
Noah’s father stiffened but said nothing further. His wife, however, seemed to be contemplating the situation, her eyes filled with worry. Finally, she spoke, her voice quiet but resolute. “If Noah says he saw something, then maybe we should help them. But we’re doing it on our terms, not theirs.”
Andrew gave a slight nod, recognizing the underlying tension in the room. “We’ll proceed with caution, I assure you.”
Noah, sensing the weight of the decision being made, turned his gaze toward his parents, then back to Micah. “I’ll help you find the chip,” he said firmly. “But I’m doing this because I want to. And I don’t want anyone getting hurt.”
Andrew exchanged a look with Micah, the unspoken understanding clear between them. “Then let’s get to work.”
