A bit too harsh

As panic filled one half of the room, evil grins covered the faces of the other half. As Harold passed by Olivia's cell a second time, this time holding whatever little possessions he had and being guided towards the exit, the former rushed over. Passing by the officer that had now entered the cell to see if she was okay, and dropping herself before Harold's feet before he was taken away and before the officer in her cell could hold her back. She looked up at him with fearful eyes and tears welling at the corners, as she said, "Harold, honey, babe, what is wrong?". After these first words the officer, who had tried to help her, had now arrived at the situation as well and tried to pull her away. But Olivia was desperate. A state which can bring out a strength that is paralleled by very few other emotions.

She continued to pull her hands loose and crawled back whatever distance the officer had managed to pull her back, inching closer on her hands and knees over the filthy floor as she continued to speak to Harold in a voice that sounded more like it was begging for mercy than the words that actually followed after each time she opened her mouth. "Did things not go well in court? Why do you look so cold? Don't tell me you are angry with me. Whatever it is, I am sure it is nothing more than a misunderstanding." But Harold just glanced down once with a look of disgust, a look so cold that it made you lose all hope, before he kicked Olivia's hands away. This stunned both Olivia and the officers present. Neither expecting that reaction, and neither knowing quite how to respond. Harold set things back into motion by taking a step forward, pulling the officer holding his cuffed arms behind his back, back to reality.

After Harold was taken away, one by one Harold's goons were brought into the judicial transport van where Harold was already sitting and waiting to be taken to the courthouse prison. As they passed by Olivia's cell on their way out, they each shot a glare at Olivia, except for the one that had leaked information about her to the bodyguard during his questioning. He felt guilty. Knowing the type of man Harold is and used to be, he knew that the way he repaid treason wasn't very pretty and he would feel bad for anyone being on the receiving end of that. But especially if he had been responsible for putting that red dot on someone's back.

Even though he was far from a saint himself, having done plenty of things that would ensure he would never step a foot in heaven, he still had a heart. So, despite having waited for so long for Harold to discover how Olivia had been playing him and his nephew, now that the moment had come and the repercussions were on their way, he couldn't help but feel a bit bad. Compared to him, a hardened criminal, Olivia was just a little girl playing a dangerous game, without fully understanding the consequences. It felt cruel to punish her how betrayal was usually dealt with in their circles, but at the same time, there was nothing he could do to help her and this was in fact a bed she had made for herself. So, now she would have to lie in it.

Although he wasn't sure that the information he had provided was the reason for Harold's sudden anger and thirst for revenge towards her, as Harold hadn't told anyone what was in the envelope, the man felt that it was a bit too coincidental. Not only was that the type of news that could get Harold as angry as he was, it was something that had come to light pretty recently and could be supported by pictures. The same could be said for very few other acts of betrayal of hers.

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As Olivia was left wondering what had made Harold become so angry with her, Max was busy trying to prevent the consequences of that anger from befalling on her. A few short hours had passed since the call between Noah and Laila when Max came back into Noah's office. He told Noah about how he had talked to the officers that were in charge of bringing Olivia to the courthouse and warned them about how Harold might be planning something, he advised them to look into any phone calls Harold and his men had made since leaving the courthouse and he contacted some private security companies to see if they had anyone to spare for a last minute bodyguarding job. He had already relayed all that information to Steve as well, since he assumed that Noah had contacted him too and that he was taking steps of his own to contain the matter.

Noah was impressed with steps he had taken in that short amount of time between being scolded and returning to his office, but couldn't say that he was surprised after having witnessed Max's abilities over the years. He told him, "Well done.", with a smile, before saying, "Max, before you go, I wanted to say something about our conversation earlier. I realized after talking to Laila, that I was a bit too harsh on you."

Max was clearly not expecting these words and appeared startled at what Noah had said, but listened with a dropped jaw and widened eyes, while not even a single sound left his mouth. "Although the road to hell is paved with good intentions and therefore does not excuse all actions, yours certainly can be judged less harshly in light of all that has happened in the past week or so." Max's expression turned to that of regret as he listened to the rest of Noah's words as he was recalling his actions and the possible consequences they could have.

"You did what you thought was right in that moment, and even though it wasn't the right choice, you have made plenty of choices that were. Not only ever since this all went down, but before that as well. So, I take back my comment of being disappointed in you, but next time, talk to me before you do anything regarding this trial and the people involved in it. Understand? Because if you act independently a second time in this matter, I will really be disappointed in you and far less forgiving."

Max nodded and said, "I understand. Thank you." Then he excused himself and walked out the door. After he closed the door, he leaned against it as he took a deep breath to recollect himself. He then started on his work, which had been piling up because of the whole Harold debacle.