Chapter 292
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Chapter 292:
He lifted it to his chest. He stared straight ahead, expressionless and suffering.
Justin reached around Gaston’s back and flipped a hidden toggle switch on the battery pack.
The board erupted into blinding light. A border of hyper-bright LED marquee lights began flashing in a rapid, chaotic circle around the neon pink letters: KNIGHT AADEN, MOST HANDSOME IN THE ROOM!
The light was so intense it bathed the entire front row in a pink glow.
Every parent in the auditorium turned their head.
𝘛𝘩е 𝗯es𝘵 r𝗲𝘷𝘪𝘦𝗐𝘀 𝗼𝘯
The Wall Street executives seated behind them stared in disbelief. They recognized the man holding the ridiculous, flashing sign. It was Gaston Collins — the ruthless, bloodthirsty shark of the financial world — illuminated in pink.
A wave of shocked whispers and barely suppressed laughter rippled through the darkened theater.
Gaston’s expression was thunderous. The veins in his neck stood out. He stared straight ahead, refusing to look at anyone, silently composing his brother’s obituary.
On stage, Aaden spotted the sign. His face ignited with pure joy. He broke character entirely, raised his plastic sword, and waved at them with frantic enthusiasm.
Jocelyn slapped both hands over her mouth. Her shoulders shook violently as she fought to contain her laughter, tears forming at the corners of her eyes. She pulled her phone from her purse and shamelessly snapped five rapid photos of Gaston’s furious, pink-illuminated face.
Gaston turned his head slowly and fixed his glare on her phone.
Then he saw it — the genuine, unburdened joy on her face. She was laughing so hard she could barely breathe.
The anger drained out of him. He let out a long, defeated sigh. The corners of his mouth betrayed him, curling upward in a look of absolute, helpless indulgence.
Beside Jocelyn, Carmen laughed freely for the first time in weeks. The tight, heavy tension she had carried in her chest simply dissolved.
On Gaston’s other side, Justin had stopped watching the play entirely. He paid no attention to the stage, no attention to his brother’s humiliation. He simply turned his head and watched the pink light dance across Carmen’s smiling face.
The heavy theater doors swung open, spilling the wealthy crowd onto the chilly Manhattan sidewalk.
The play had been a resounding success. Aaden’s class had won the school’s plastic trophy for Best Ensemble.
Aaden burst through the doors clutching the cheap gold-painted cup to his chest and ran past the crowd of parents like a small missile.
Justin knelt on the pavement, arms spread wide to catch his son.
Aaden ran straight past him.
He threw himself into Carmen’s legs, arms locked around her waist. He looked up with shining eyes and held the trophy high in the air.
“This is for you!” Aaden declared. “Because you fixed my magic cape p>
Carmen’s breath caught. Her vision blurred with sudden, hot tears. She reached down and took the plastic cup with trembling hands, then dropped to her knees and pulled the little boy into a fierce hug, burying her face in his shoulder.