âWhat do you mean by âtake responsibilityâ, Mr. Tanner? I thought I made every detail crystal clear to you, and only left the scene after making sure Regina was safe. Now you come at me with this security footage demanding answers. Whatâs this all about?â
Nolan spread his hands wide, a picture of bafflement in the face of Francisâ actions, âDid Regina even give you the green light to come to me today?â
âOf course I didnât tell her. Sheâd have tried to stop me, my little pumpkin that she is. But you must understand, gossip can be a real bullet to a young ladyâs reputation. Thatâs why Iâm here, to have you step up to the plate. My eldest daughter should be a good match for you, donât you think?â
Nolan couldnât help but chuckle at Francisâ vagrancy. He leaned back into the couch with an air of superiority as he looked down on the brazen middle-aged man.
âAnd what makes you think your Tanner girl is good enough for me?â Nolan bit back.
It wasnât that Nolan thought any less of Regina; it was her fatherâs antics that drove him to retort.
Francisâ face soured, âSure, Mr. Harris, youâre in a position to look down on us now. The Tanner girlâs just a slip-up on camera away from forcing your hand in marriage.â
âSo Mr. Tanner, youâre trying to coerce me into marrying your daughter?â Nolan tapped his long fingers against the armrest, looking thoroughly unimpressed with Francisâ proposal.
âThatâs right. I want you to tie the knot with our Regina. Itâd be a power couple in the making. Besides, itâs not like you and Regina donât have a spark between you. Why else would you dash from your office to the hotel to save her? And you young people have so much in common, so you can build your emotional foundation after the wedding. Iâm not asking for the moon.â
Nolan actually laughed out loud, âYouâve got some nerve by making demands like that. Looks like the Tanner Groupâs stocks are taking a dive, and itâs got you in a sweat.â
Now that Nolan had switched to a formal address, Francis definitely caught the change but was determined to get his way today.
âThis has nothing to do with my companyâs stocks. I just want you to man up and do the right thing. And if that video gets out, it wonât just be our stocks that take a hit. People care about trust and morality these days. If the CEO of Harris Group is caught in a scandal and wonât take responsibility, Iâm sure the shareholders will be very disappointed.â
Francis was blatantly threatening him, but Nolan was not the kind to be bullied.
âGo ahead, release the video online. Iâm actually curious to see if Mr. Tanner still has an ounce of love for his daughter. No decent father would want to exploit his own child for attention. And with your new wife and kid from another relationship, the public will see exactly what kind of father you are once the news breaks.â
Nolan was right; Francis was just bluffing.