Chapter 143
Xavier’s voice faltered for a beat, then his expression turned cold. A quiet, crushing force seemed to radiate from him.
“You really think that just anyone can get away with bullying my son?”
The teachers froze, silence crashing over them like a wave.
They had seen Xavier in person no more than a handful of times. But everyone knew-no child was admitted to this kindergarten unless their family was either obscenely rich or dangerously powerful.
Still, in their minds, Carter had always been the dominant force in Amstern City-a man no one dared to cross. He’d come to the kindergarten more than once to support Theo. Inevitably, the balance of sympathy had tipped in his son’s favor.
In fact, just moments ago, they’d gently suggested to Sharon that she should consider switching Matty to another school to separate the two children, for the sake of peace.
But now, seeing Matty’s father standing here in person, they realized-this man wasn’t someone to take lightly either.
Xavier didn’t raise his voice. He didn’t even appear to use much strength, yet somehow, Sharon’s hand slipped effortlessly from Carter’s grip.
And in that instant of freedom, Sharon swung again-another sharp slap across Kelly’s face, then another, and another. Kelly screamed with each hit, the sound ragged and panicked.
Carter frowned, stepping forward to stop her, only to meet Xavier’s half-smile, one that didn’t quite reach his eyes.
That smile made him pause.
He froze in place.
Blocking Kelly with his own body, he finally shouted, “Sharon, that’s enough!” 1
Sharon dropped her hand, her fingers tingling from the repeated blows. She didn’t even look at Carter.
Her voice came out flat. “Kelly, apologize.”
Kelly looked like she was on the edge of losing her mind.
This was humiliation. Real, brutal humiliation.
In her entire life, she had never been treated like this.
“Carter! She hit me! She actually dared to hit me!” Kelly’s eyes were red, her face contorted into something ugly and unrecognizable. “Don’t let her get away with this! You can’t just let her walk away!” 1
Theo watched her melt down, and without thinking, he took a step back.
The Kelly he’d always known-gentle and kind like a fairy-suddenly seemed terrifying.
Carter’s voice was low. “Kelly, calm down.”
But Kelly clung tightly to his arm, refusing to let go. “Carter, you’re really not going to stand up for me?”
“That’s right, Mr. Biggs,” Matty said quietly. “Aren’t you going to stand up for Sharon too? Kelly twisted the story. She said Sharon and I tried to hurt Theo, but in reality, we were saving him. She said you didn’t want Theo to be close to Sharon, so you made up lies.”
“I think I finally understand why Theo never gets along with Sharon,” Matty added, turning to look at Kelly. “It’s because Kelly’s always feeding him lies.”
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Carter’s dark eyes turned colder, sharper-like a hawk locking onto prey. He looked down at Theo.
Theo lowered his head, unable to meet his father’s gaze.
Carter didn’t need an explanation. He knew.
He’d already suspected something was off when Theo had slipped earlier and almost let the truth out. But he hadn’t pressed the issue-not in front of the teachers. He hadn’t wanted to embarrass Kelly publicly.
He’d meant to question Theo privately.
But now that everything had come out into the open, there was no use pretending anymore.
After a few seconds of silence, he turned to Kelly.
“Kelly. Apologize.”
Kelly stared at him in disbelief. “Carter… what did you just say?”
His voice was cold. “Apologize to Matty and Sharon.”
“Carter?!”
Carter held her gaze, his tone flat and final. “I’ll say it one last time. Apologize to Matty and Sharon.”
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