My Stand-In Groom Is A Secret Tycoon (Audrey)

As soon as Leo said he would handle the matter seriously, Lucas and Maxwell's mothers panicked.

At first, they had been acting tough and intimidating, assuming their sons hadn't done anything wrong. But now that the surveillance footage had been pulled up, it was clear their sons had indeed been involved in the fight.

They wondered, 'How can we defend our sons?'

Lucas's mother quickly shifted her focus and said eagerly to Leo, "Mr. Harrington, it's really not Lucas's fault. He's just a loyal friend who got misled by his so-called good buddy. Please be lenient this time and give him another chance."

Maxwell's mother wasn't willing to back down either. She quickly chimed in, "That's right, Mr. Harrington. Please give the kids another chance. Maxwell has always been the best-behaved.

"In his three years at school, he's never caused any major trouble. This was just an exception. If you could go easy on him, I promise I'll make sure he learns from this."

The two women had completely lost their previous arrogance. They both knew Leo's temperament well and understood that he was famous for being strict and impartial.

Moreover, Leo had a powerful mentor backing him, someone with an

extraordinary position in the education field. No one would dare question his decisions.

If Lucas and Maxwell were really expelled by Leo, it was likely that no other reputable high school in Riverdale would accept them.

Thinking of this, Lucas's mother broke into a cold sweat and continued pleading, "Mr. Harrington, please be lenient."

Leo snorted coldly. "If I hadn't come today, Miles would have been expelled because of the pressure you placed on Jasper.

"Since you know that making a big fuss would ruin the students' futures, why did you just now pressure Miles so aggressively?"

The more Leo spoke, the angrier he became. Disappointment filled his voice as he asked, "Do you think only your children's futures matter? Is the future of other kids just a joke to you?"

His words left the two mothers speechless. They couldn't argue with Leo, so they could only turn their anger toward their own children.

For a moment, the office was filled with Lucas and Maxwell's pleas for mercy. The two were beaten and had nowhere to turn, so they could only ask Nathan for help.noveldrama

"Nathan, please help us!" one of the boys pleaded.

"Nathan, you have to plead for us!" the other boy said.

Seeing his friends in trouble, Nathan also felt his pride wounded.

But he also felt a bit intimidated by Leo. After a long internal struggle, he finally gritted his teeth and said, "Mr. Harrington, please let my two buddies off for my sake."

Leo found his street-smart talk amusing. 'For your sake? A young brat trying to act tough?' he thought.

Seeing that Leo wasn't swayed, Nathan had no choice but to bring up his father, trying to intimidate Leo by saying, "My dad is a school board member. If you don't listen to me, believe it or not, I can have him get you fired..."

Before Nathan could even finish his threat, he felt a hard slap across his face.

"Let me fix you, you ungrateful little brat!" Xander shouted.

The slap sent Nathan stumbling back, and he fell to the floor with a loud thud. As he regained his senses and looked up, he came face-to-face with his father's furious, dark expression.

Nathan's father, Xander, had once been involved in shady dealings, running errands for his boss in all sorts of conditions. Over the years, his face had become quite tanned from the constant sun exposure.

Although things had improved in recent years and he was now a CEO, he hadn't abandoned his intimidating appearance. His stern expression had a way of making anyone who saw him feel uneasy.

Before Nathan could even process why his father had shown up, a dark shadow loomed over him.

This time, it wasn't just a slap. His father delivered a harsh kick straight to his stomach. The impact was so painful that Nathan immediately spat out a mouthful of bile, too winded to even beg for mercy.

Crying out in pain and clutching his stomach, Nathan's mind was in a fog. He couldn't understand why his usually indulgent father would suddenly go so hard on him. The force of the kick felt like it could have killed him right there.

Xander seemed ready to continue the punishment, but fortunately,

Jasper, who had regained his composure, stepped in and stopped him. "Mr. Caldwell, discipline isn't just about physical punishment. Don't act impulsively."

Xander calmed down and completely ignored Nathan, who was writhing on the floor, and walked toward Audrey instead.

Miles thought Xander was about to attack, so he immediately stepped forward to shield his sister.

Xander's expression stiffened for a moment, but he quickly took a step back, putting some distance between himself and the siblings. He then smiled and said, "I'm sorry, Ms. Rhodes.

"This is all my son's fault. I've failed as a father, which caused harm to your brother. Please don't hold it against us, and I hope you'll be magnanimous and let this go."

Such politeness, even laced with flattery, left everyone present dumbfounded.