Astonishing Nolan Dawson

Chapter 6: Disclosure

His heart leaped as he witnessed the man he had addressed as his father nodding in confirmation to his question.

"It's truly him!"

Nolan's entire countenance appeared complex. With a tightened heart, he stared at him, uncertain of how to respond to the revelation that the man before him was indeed his father.

"Nolan, I'm your father," the man uttered, his voice carrying a gentleness.

The complex emotions that had been swirling within Nolan instantly dissipated with the man's words. What replaced them on his face was a seething rage and intense hatred. 

Initially, he had a complex reaction to the unexpected surprise of seeing the man, but that didn't carry much weight. Now, he was consumed by a furious temperament.

Observing the hostility in Nolan's expression, the man didn't react with dismay; instead, he approached, saying, "Nolan, I'm sorry," his tone subdued.

Nolan scowled, taking a step backward. "Stay away from me. Don't come any closer."

The hostility and anger etched on his face at that moment were unparalleled. Mere gazing at the man, kept intensifying the overwhelming rage within him.

The man smiled bitterly. He understood that Nolan's expression conveyed his hatred, yet he persisted in moving forward despite Nolan's warning.

"Scam! Are you unable to understand my words? I'm deadly serious. If you take one step closer, you'll regret it!" He issued a threat, his voice resonating with thunderous intensity.

Nolan's thunderous warning drew the attention of the bodyguards stationed at the door and those on the lower floors.

Though it was apparent that something was amiss, they swiftly rushed to the room, concerned.

"Master Dawson, is everything all right?" inquired one of the bodyguards.

Mr. Dawson frowned, appearing displeased. "Did I instruct any of you to enter this room? Leave immediately and do not return without my consent," he commanded, his voice carrying authority.

Hearing the displeased tone of Mr Dawson, everyone quickly disperses.

Nolan wasn't interested in their discussion, all that stayed in his mind was how to leave here.

"Why am I here? Did those men bring me here with your instruction? You better let me leave and I'll act as though I had never seen you." Nolan hurriedly spoke, seeing that the others had left.

"Yes, those men had brought you here based on my instruction." He answered, while choosing to ignore the last words of Nolan.

Nolan scorned him." Why…? Why was I brought here due to your order? Just like you did then, why don't you repeat the same thing. I don't see any reason why you would need to see the son you had once abandoned."

"My son, I assure you that I can explain." Mr Dawson spoke with a weakened tone.

Nolan snorted, bitterly. "If I may ask, what do you want to explain? Do you want to explain the cruelty of how you abandoned my mother and I, huh? Do you want to explain how wicked and heartless you were when you left my sickened mother! Do you want to tell us that you have no fault in my many years of suffering, answer me!" He yelled, as he demanded an answer.

With each question thrown at Mr Dawson, Nolan felt his heart hurt. He had to clutch his hand to his heart as the pain tightened from the memories that were flowing in.

Once upon a time, Nolan and his parents coexisted harmoniously. Despite being an ordinary family, they always wore smiles. However, everything took a turn when Nolan's father, Ryan, fled the household, leaving them behind. The aftermath of his abandonment plunged them into a more wretched and painful existence. 

Before Ryan had left them, Nolan's mother was already sick, so after he left, Nolan's mother depressingly passed away. To the nine years old Nolan of then, who had faced hardship, how could he not despise this father of his!

Recalling all of this intensified the displeasure and anger within him.

"My dear... please don't hold me responsible," Mr. Dawson's heartbreaking voice resonated through the room.

Nolan glared at him. "What? You're suggesting I shouldn't blame you? If I don't blame you, then who should I blame? You abandoned us, making my life unbearable, and now you claim innocence."

To Nolan, his father was the sole target of his blame. He held him accountable for all the hardships he had endured since childhood. If Mr. Dawson hadn't abandoned them, would Nolan have faced ridicule and disdain from everyone? Would his mother have succumbed to depression?

"I love you, Nolan. I would never wish ill upon you..." Mr. Dawson attempted to explain but was abruptly cut off by Nolan.

As he listened to the words of Mr Dawson, the displease and anger grew more.

"My dear… please don't blame me." Mr Dawson's heartbreaking voice echoed the room.

Nolan glared at him. "You say what? I shouldn't blame you? If I don't blame you, who am I to blame? You abandoned us and made my life miserable and here you're saying you're not to blame."

To Nolan, the only one he blamed was his father. He blames him for all the hardship he has been facing since small; if he had not abandoned them, would he have been ridiculed and looked down upon by all or would his mother have died of depression? 

"I love you Nolan. I would never wish bad for you.." Mr Dawson tried to explain, but was ruthlessly cut short by Nolan.

"Don't sugarcoat me with the word love! You've never truly cared for me, so why the pretense? If you claim to love, why do I find myself publicly declaring my father as deceased?"

Mr. Dawson's heart raced.

"What?"

"You're spreading the rumor that I'm dead?" His voice trembled as he inquired.

Nolan scoffed, unaffected by the distress visible on Mr. Dawson's face. "Yes, to me, you've been dead since the day you abandoned us. So, don't act surprised. Even without my own words, everyone acknowledges my lack of parents, which implies you're dead too."

Mr. Dawson sighed, sinking onto a sofa beside the bed. The weight of contemplating what his son had gone through to utter such words left him exhausted. 

For the first time, Mr Dawson was left speechless. He knew apologizing to him at this moment shouldn't be what he should be doing, but he was helpless.

"Nolan, just hear me out. Everything you thought of me all this while isn't the truth. It's deeper than you can think. I know you might find it hard to believe me, but just know that I would never have chosen to abandon you and your Mom even if I have seven lives." 

The sincerity and honesty in his voice seems visible even to Nolan. He could see the pain and sadness in his eyes as he spoke. For the first time, Nolan was confused. He didn't know if he should believe the words of his father, 

Even though he chose to neglect his father's word, the sincerity in his tone seems obvious.

"If you never intended to abandon both my mother and me, then why did you vanish? Why have you not returned all these years?" He unleashed a barrage of questions simultaneously.

Mr. Dawson sighed, expressing, "I truly wish I could reveal everything to you, but I can't. When the time is right, I'll address all your doubts about me. Just understand that I sincerely apologize." At present, that was the extent of what he could disclose.

Nolan remained silent. He had thought it true and he knew that holding a grudge on him won't change the past. It can never change the ridicule and suffering he had already encountered. 

Observing the reduction in Nolan's hostility, Mr. Dawson, wearing a cheerful expression, spoke, "Nolan, initially, my intention in bringing you here was to mend our relationship. However, there's a more significant reason for summoning you..."

Intrigued, Nolan shifted his focus away from his thoughts, eager to learn what his father was about to disclose.

"What is it?" he inquired, disliking the suspense lingering in the air.

"The primary purpose behind calling you here is to designate you as the heir of the Dawson family. 

"The main reason for calling you here was to be the heir of the Dawson's family!"

Nolan's expression widened in shock and astonishment. "What do you mean by heir?"

"Nolan, the father you knew in the past is different from now. I'm no longer the same as before. Our family situation has now changed. All the fortunes of the family are now yours; this includes this mansion, cars, companies and properties Dawson family has. " He said affectionately. 

Although Mr Dawson said everything in the simplest way he could fathom, however to Nolan, it seems like a big shock. 

"The $200 billion sent to my account a day before was also sent by you!?" 

His expression and utterance seems out of normal. He was beyond shock. If that huge sum of money was really sent by his father, then how much money does he really have?

He must be freaking wealthy!

That was the only way he could describe his current father.

"Yes. That money was sent by me. " Mr Dawson answered, breaking all Nolan's overwhelming shock to its limit.

He really did send it!

Right now, he was super astonished. He didn't know whether to scream or bust out in tears due to his joy. 

Everything he had seen and heard today seemed unreal. It all feels like a dream.

From the words of his father, he knew his life had changed forever, so how could he eas

ily believe it?

How could he believe that he was no longer the scorned and belittled fellow, rather he's now a family heir!