Look for answers

Noah was stunned. He couldn't believe that Max had done such a foolish thing. Although he understood why he did what he did, Max couldn't have done it at a worse time. In a heated voice Noah asked Max, "How could you do this Max? This exactly why Joe told us to not do anything and let him handle what happens in court. If Harold indeed does something, who do you think they will look to for answers as to the how and why? It won't all be Harold, I can tell you that much."

Max was a bit confused at first, but after thinking about it and listening to Noah's words, it hit him. Although Harold has enough connections on the outside, some powerful, some not so much. Although plenty of them would be happy to do him a favor, especially if that favor was to punish a traitor and result in having Harold indebted to them. There would be no reason for Harold to suddenly want to take revenge on his partner in crime, especially when he is already in prison, being watched and investigated for other crimes. No way for him to find out something that would make him want to do that, other than outside information and pretty damaging outside information at that. Information that they have provided law enforcement with plenty of.

So, if that type of information gets in the hands of someone behind bars, when that person has no reason to suddenly start digging themselves or suspect for something to have happened, the finger can only point to Noah and his group. They already had the information and motive. Noah confirmed the conclusion of Max's train of thought. He told him that this was why Joe told them to not do a thing, because if things get out of hand, they would bring themselves back in danger and they would go from just being victims to being potential criminals themselves. Being casted as vigilantes. As people guilty of accessory to whatever crime Harold and his group would end up committing as a result of the information THEY had provided to him. A result of their interference in an ongoing investigation and trial, which could add obstruction of justice to their list of (potential) crimes as things like this can cause a verdict to be delayed or even swayed.

When Max had finished listening to Noah's explanation and scolding, he apologized and said, "Let me make this right. I don't know if I will be able to stop Harold from doing something stupid, but I can confess what I have done and allow the authorities to take proper measures. They can cut his contact to a phone until after Olivia's hearing. They can provide her with extra guards. Have an emergency team on standby. Whatever it is they need to do, I will help them get it done before the day after tomorrow."

Noah sighed and said, "Yeah, very well, see what you can salvage and I will see what I can do. I am quite disappointed with you Max. I didn't think you would act so much on your emotions that you would forget to think of the consequences." To Max these words felt like being punched in the gut or stabbed by a knife. His whole world stopped for a second and he forgot to breathe, before he swallowed the lump in his throat and responded with a, "Yeah, I'm sorry", before leaving Noah's office. Max had the utmost respect for Noah and cared for him like he was his brother. He had no siblings of his own and he didn't have a very good bond with his father. Noah was the only male figure in his life that he could look up to and use as an example to model his life after. To hear that he had disappointed him of all people, was the biggest hurt he could suffer.

After Max left his office, Noah sighed again, before he called Steve and told him what Max had done. Steve had a similar reaction to Noah, and after he ranted through the pain of his ribs, he said that he would make some calls to people he knew and see if he could help in the outcome of the situation in any way. Once Noah was done with filling Steve in, both on the results of the trial and what Max had done, he called Laila so that he could vent a little himself.

Laila listened to Noah's story and when she heard it all, she understood his anger. But, when he told her what he had said to Max in response to his actions, she felt that he might have been too harsh. From the way Noah described his response to his scolding, Max had already regretted what he had done, and she could see very clearly that he had only done what he had done out of love and admiration for Noah and Steve. Yes, what he had done wasn't smart, but he had no bad intentions and to hear that he had disappointed Noah, must have hurt him more than any crime he could potentially be charged with.

So, after telling Noah she agreed with him, she pointed this out to him and let him know that he should revisit the topic in order to end the conversation on a more positive note. "I think that after he comes back to report the actions he has taken, you should have another talk with him about the matter as a whole, instead of letting things end on such a bad note. Feeling hurt and ridden with guilt, won't help him in making things better and won't change what has happened so far. It might even cause him to fixate on making things right, causing him to slip up in other places or other ways." Noah knew that Laila was right. He too had felt it after he said those words and he could see it in Max's eyes, that his words had hurt him. "Yeah, I'll talk to him. But before I get a chance to do that, how about you tell me how Beverly responded to your dress. Did she like it as much as we expected she would?" Laila responded with, "And then some!" as she chuckled and happily went along with this change of topic.