The price of betrayal (Jack and Ashley) novel Chapter 447

"Preposterous! Nolan, what nonsense are you spouting here? Hurry up and get him off the stage!"

At that moment, the group of important figures from the village, who had been seated on the stage, could no longer sit still. One by one, they erupted into furious shots directed at Nolan.

But Nolan only chuckled. "Look at them—before I've even said anything, they're already panicking. What's there to be afraid of? If you're innocent, you have nothing to fear. So, what are you all so anxious about?"

Hearing this, Ben walked up to Nolan and said in a low voice, "Nolan, we've been treating you with nothing but courtesy this whole time because we're considering the help you once gave to the village. But don't mistake our patience for weakness.

"You were in prison for the past three years, and in that time, the village has undergone significant changes. Things are not as you think they are, do you understand? If you step down quietly today, we can still negotiate privately after the event."

Ben, unwilling to let Nolan say anything that could damage the village's reputation in front of Harold, turned to Wayne and said softly, "I get that Nolan is still young, so he might not understand some things, but how can he not? On an occasion like this, causing such a scene makes us a joke. Your son is bringing nothing but shame to our village!"

Wayne clenched his teeth at Ben's words. He then strode toward Nolan and spoke in a low voice, "Nolan, get off the stage right now, and keep your mouth shut. Do you hear me?"

Nolan looked at Wayne and let out a soft laugh. "Dad, why don't you trust me? I'm here to fight for justice—not for you, but for the majority of the people in this village! Don't I have the right to do so? If I remember correctly, wasn't it me who funded the establishment of Village Enterprise in the first place? And to this day, I still hold 40% of the shares. As the largest shareholder, am I not allowed to speak?"

At this point, most of the villagers finally began to realize the truth—Nolan was indeed still a major shareholder in Village Enterprise.

Stefan Gallant, Village Enterprise's general manager, spoke up in a deep voice, "Nolan, it's true that you are a major shareholder in Village Enterprise, but let's be clear about something. Over the years, Village Enterprise has grown from your modest investment of several hundred thousand dollars to the multi-million-dollar enterprise it is today.