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Nathan

Chapter 6:

The cell was dark and stuffy, the only streaks of light came from the broken window shards.

Nathan adjusted uncomfortably, as he sat in the stark confines of the police station, his heart heavy with worry for Joan.

The news of her hospitalization which he had heard earlier had struck him, he wondered if she was okay, his mind was filled up with concern for the mystery girl who had stood up for him. His mind was a whirlwind of questions and fear, and the cold dark sterile walls of the holding cell offered no solace.

He looked up as a police officer passes his cell.

“Officer! Sir!” He called out.

The man turned around, he was quite chubby, he was clean shaven but his jaw still had stubby hair growth.

“Yes? What the do you want?” The man replied gruffly.

“The other girl who was meant to be arrested with me, how is she?” Nathan asked, his face etched with grace concern.

“Joan?” The man replied, his voice sounding like as if he was desperate to leave here.

“Yes!” Nathan nodded quite happy at the fact that the man understood what he was talking about.

“We don’t have any information yet,” The man said gruffly, he eyed Nathan suspiciously then continued,

“Do you actually know her? She’s Joan Martinez, the only daughter of the Martinez family. One of the richest family from Columbia, trust me she’ll be fine, you should be more worried about yourself.”

He turned around to go, then stopped and turned back to face Nathan.

“Don’t worry, if I have any information I’ll keep you updated.” He shook his head and walked away as Nathan smiled contentedly.

Moments stretched into an eternity as he waited for any word about Joan's condition. The police station bustled with activity around him, officers engaged in conversations that he couldn't quite make out. Nathan's thoughts were entirely consumed by the memory of that brave girl who had stepped into his life like a guardian angel.

His thoughts were abruptly interrupted when the cell door swung open, and the police inspector stepped inside. Nathan looked up, his eyes filled with a mixture of anxiety and curiosity. The inspector's expression was a mask of professionalism, but there was an underlying sense of something unusual.

"Nathan Cooper," the inspector began, "We've received a call, an unexpected one. It's from the mayor's wife, Mrs. Reddington. She's requested your release, and she's waiting outside to meet you."

The words hung in the air, and Nathan's mind raced to comprehend the situation. The mayor's wife wanted to see him? Why? What could she possibly want from a young man who had found himself in the midst of turmoil? Maybe the police had found evidence against Marcus and they had come to bribe him.

Nathan's curiosity was piqued, but his apprehension remained. He nodded slowly, acknowledging the inspector's words. "Alright, I'll go see her."

“She’s in the visiting room.” The inspector replied, as he eyed Nathan up and down.

“I don’t know what she wants to see a boy like you for.” He cleared his throat roughly and walked away.

With measured steps, Nathan followed the inspector out of the holding cell and into a more welcoming part of the police station. The atmosphere had shifted, and he felt a sense of unease as he approached the visiting room.

Inside, the room was simple yet functional, furnished with a table and chairs. But what caught Nathan's attention was the woman sitting on one of those chairs—a woman he hadn't seen in years. His heart clenched, and a storm of emotions roiled within him.

It was his mother.

Memories flooded his mind—the day she had walked out on him and his father, the years of silence and longing, the anger and resentment he had carried in his heart. And now, she was sitting here, a visitor in a place he never thought she would be.

Nathan's mother, Emma, looked up as he entered the room. Her eyes were red and puffy, and her face bore the weight of time and regret. She attempted a smile, but it faltered, unable to mask the sadness that lingered beneath the surface.

"Nathan," she whispered his name, her voice trembling with a mixture of hope and fear.

Nathan's gaze remained fixed on her, his emotions a turbulent sea. The years of silence had taken their toll, and he was no longer the boy who had once yearned for his nightmare to be over and for his family to return to what it had been.

"What do you want?," he finally spoke, his voice cold and distant.

Emma's eyes welled up with tears, and she reached out to him, her hand trembling. "Nathan, I'm so sorry."

Nathan's mother's apology hung in the air, heavy with the weight of years of separation, anger and hate he had developed for her.

But Nathan couldn't find it in himself to forgive or to forget. The wounds of the past ran deep, and he had built walls around his heart to protect himself.

Mayor’s wife? He thought to himself, so the man she had left his father and destroyed their family for was Mayor Reddington? The man she had handed all his father’s company and properties to was Mayor Reddington? So she was Marcus’s step mom.

The hate he had for her was increasing by the minute.

“Did you— did you leave dad for him?” Nathan stuttered, his voice trembling with pain.

“Nathan you don’t—“

“Did you leave dad for the mayor? Did you break the family for him?” Nathan was already losing his composure as hot tears ran down his cheeks.

“Nathan you don’t understand.” His mom croaked.

“Answer me!” Nathan screamed.

“Did you do all that because of the mayor?!” Nathan screamed again, as he trembled violently.

“Yes.” His mom muttered.

That answer felt like a knife to Nathan’s chest, he held his chest in pain as he staggered backward, hot tears rolling down his cheeks.

“Why did you give everything dad owned to him?” Nathan croaked silently, he could barely hear himself.

“Nathan I—“

"Don’t you understand ? I hate you," he uttered, the words bitter and final.

Emma's face crumpled with pain, and she withdrew her outstretched hand. She struggled to find the right words, to bridge the chasm that had grown between them.

"Nathan, please," she pleaded, her voice breaking.

But Nathan had already turned away, his heart bricked up like a fortress that could not be breached.

He picked up his bag and walked away, leaving his mother standing there, her tears falling like rain.

As he walked out of the police station and into the city beyond, Nathan carried with him the weight of his experiences. Joan's hospitalization and the turbulent events that had unfolded had left an indelible mark on him, shaping the course of his future.

The city was bathed in the golden hues of evening, a symbol of hope and renewal. As he navigated the bustling streets, Nathan felt renewed hate for his mother and everything building inside him.

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