The principal was totally lost, thinking the guy was spouting nonsense. Annoyed, he snapped, "Call your folks to pick you up ASAP."
Alexander smirked, "No worries, even if you don't say it, I'll do it anyway." With that, he fished his phone from his backpack and called Ethan.
The phone rang for a bit before someone picked up. Alexander's face went from cool to a mix of sadness and complaint. "Dad...sob, I got bullied. Can you please come help me?"
The principal was left dumbfounded. This new Noah seemed off, not like before. But he shrugged off the weird thoughts. Different or not, without connections, you couldn't stand in Kindergarten A. That's just how it was.
After the call, the principal ushered Alexander to the office. Meanwhile, Matthew and Teacher Moreno got taken to the health room by the school doc.
About thirty minutes later, a slick Rolls-Royce Phantom pulled up at the kindergarten gate. The driver's door swung open. Jade stepped out, fixed his collar, and knocked on the security guard's door.
"I'm a family member of Noah."
The security room already got a heads-up from the principal's office. After checking, they swung open the school gate. Jade strolled to the back seat, popped it open, and out came Ethan, an icy aura swirling around him like he just got back from the Arctic.
A strange feeling crept up on the security guard. He avoided eye contact with Ethan throughout, uneasy vibes lingering.
Once Ethan hit the principal's office, Alexander was stuck facing the wall, contemplating his choices. School big shots sat nearby, taking turns lecturing him. Ethan's icy stare darkened the room in an instant.
"Noah..."
Hearing Ethan's voice, Alexander quickly wiped his tears. With red ears and a swollen face, he turned around, looking at Ethan pitifully.
"Daddy..."
His voice was kinda hoarse, like he'd been crying for a while. Seeing this, Ethan's eyes narrowed. He walked over and asked, "Who hit you?"
Alexander hugged Ethan, tears streaming down.
"Sob, Daddy, it's awful. Everyone at school bullied me, not just hitting but calling me a beggar. They said I have no mom, insulted me, and wanted to kick me out."
Ethan's eyes showed anger. He squatted down, checked Alexander's face, and got mad.
"What happened exactly?"
Alexander quickly spilled the beans.
"Patrick kicked me twice, Matthew pulled my hair, Teacher Moreno twisted my ears, and the principal slapped me. Even Teacher Moreno said I'm not your son, but a bastard."
The principal on the side was dumbfounded. "What?"
Did Patrick and Matthew really attack Noah? There's no such thing in the surveillance footage.
Ethan's eyes showed he was pretty ticked off, like a lion ready to roar.
"No worries, kiddo. Daddy's got this," he assured, giving Alexander a nudge towards Jade.
Jade grabbed Alexander's hand, hugging him tight. Peeking out from Jade's arms, Alexander hoped to catch the show outside--the payback.
Anybody messing with him? Ethan made sure they'd regret it big time. Adjusting his tie, he kept a lid on his building rage.
"Who's the principal?" Ethan's voice dripped with disdain.
The principal came over with a sorry smile, "It's just a misunderstanding today, it's..."
But Ethan wasn't having it. One swift kick with his fancy Italian shoes, and the principal was on the floor, howling in pain.
Ethan, cool as a cucumber, dusted off his pants, ushering Alexander to a sofa. "Jade, bring in the troublemakers."
Jade nodded, leaving the other school leaders in stunned silence.
A bit later, Jade ushered in two dudes and two teachers. As soon as they saw Alexander, they knew they were in hot water.
Patrick, still clueless, acted all high and mighty. Teachers Moreno and Teacher Jansen, though, sized up Ethan and got the hint--trouble.
Pointing at them, Alexander spilled the beans, "Those are the jerks! Tall one's Patrick Costa, the other is Matthew Dubois. Glasses? That's Teacher Moreno, and the chubster is Teacher Jansen."
The "chubster" comment made Patrick see red. "Who're you calling chubby?"
Grinning, Alexander shot back, "Anyone who feels offended, I guess."
Patrick lunged at Alexander, ready for a brawl. But Ethan? He kicked Patrick away, no mercy, not even with his kid there.
The principal and Teacher Moreno, usually Patrick's cheerleaders, were too shocked to react. Ethan pulled Alexander up, whispering, "Payback time."
Alexander pretended to be shy, shaking his head. Ethan, standing tall, led him forward. "As the Steele family heir, you gotta fight back. How can I trust you with the Emperor Group otherwise?"
Everyone in the room gasped. Alexander, the seemingly regular kid, was the big shot behind the kindergarten and the heir to the richest family in the country.
Teacher Jansen's legs wobbled. "You're really Ethan's kid?"
Alexander, loving the attention, smirked, "What do you think?"
Encouraged by Ethan, Alexander, now all bold, smacked Teacher Moreno across the face.
Teacher Moreno was left bewildered after Alexander's slap, and he didn't stop there. He kept dishing out more.
"The first slap is for me, and the rest are for my brother. You scum dared to bully him. Today, I'm here to set things straight..."
The ‘brother’ he mentioned was none other than Noah. The injustice Noah faced at the kindergarten fueled Alexander's rage, and he wanted to make them pay. With every slap, he unleashed all his fury.
Teacher Moreno's face swelled up from the blows. Despite the pain, she kept silent, head down in submission.
After dealing with Teacher Moreno, Alexander moved on to give Patrick, the principal, Teacher Jansen, and Matthew a taste of their own medicine, using the same relentless force. Throughout the ordeal, they didn't dare to fight back, behaving like scared quails, not daring to utter a sound.
With his frustrations vented, Alexander felt relieved. He willingly took Ethan's hand, smiling, "Daddy, I've let it all out. Let's go home!"
Ethan nodded, leading Alexander away. The principal and teachers kept their heads down, not daring to breathe, hoping that these figures of authority would finish venting and let the matter rest.
Unfortunately, their hopes were in vain.
As Ethan reached the doorway, he abruptly halted and delivered a ruthless order to Jade, "Shut down all the Kindergarten A branches in Europe. 'Kindergarten A' is forbidden from now on. And as for those involved, they're banned for life from this industry."
The office was filled with a chorus of desperate cries.
"Mr. Steele, please spare us! We promise we won't repeat the same mistake..." "Mr. Steele, we've learned our lesson. Don't ruin Kindergarten A..." "Mr. Steele, my whole family relies on me. I can't lose my career..."
Despite their pleas, Ethan remained unmoved. Hand in hand with Alexander, he walked away without a backward glance.
Their cries and pleas fell on deaf ears. Ethan's decision was final—the demise of Kindergarten A was inevitable.
Alexander, however, was ecstatic. He had endured enough for too long.
***