Chapter 246
"Since my mission is done, I'm leaving!" Frank patted Melanie's shoulder and calmly walked toward Nathaniel, ignoring the angry man blocking his exit. "Stop!" Nathaniel roared, grabbing Frank's arm and gritting his teeth. "You think you can just leave?"
"What about it?" Frank smirked wickedly.
Nathaniel initially restrained his rage, mindful of Frank's social standing and the potential consequences. However, Frank's words ignited his anger. He punched Frank in the face, yelling, "You bastard!"
The punch landed solidly, but Frank remained unfazed. He stumbled back, touched his lip, saw blood, and said, "I'll let you off this time for Ms. Neville's sake, but throw another punch, and I won't be so lenient."
Frank's words enraged Nathaniel further. Having already struck him once, he charged, unleashing a flurry of wild punches. True to his word, Frank retaliated, and the two men engaged in a brutal brawl. Melanie, meanwhile, vomited into the sink before regaining her composure and turning to witness the fight already in progress.
For a few moments, Melanie watched, regaining her composure before attempting to intervene. "Please, stop it! Stop fighting!" she pleaded.
Her pleas were ignored. The fight spilled from the lab into the hallway, overturning furniture and shattering glass. The commotion worried Melanie; she feared alerting the guard, which would only exacerbate their predicament.
"Stop it! Stop fighting!" she yelled, finally raising her voice. "Nathaniel! Do you want everyone to know what happened here?"
Her outburst finally broke through. Nathaniel paused, momentarily stunned, and took a punch to the jaw. "Ow" he gasped, seeing stars. Frank, noticing Nathaniel's incapacitation, stopped his attack, releasing Nathaniel and shakily rising to his feet. "Nate"
Seeing the fight end, Melanie rushed to Nathaniel's side. Knowing intervention with Frank would be futile, she focused on Nathaniel, aware of his sensitivity to public opinion. Nathaniel staggered to his feet, his head swimming. He saw someone moving in front of him, looked up, and, recognizing Melanie's worried face, his anger flared. He shoved her hard, shouting, "Get away from me!" Melanie nearly fell, but Frank caught her. This only further infuriated Nathaniel.