Chapter 290
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Chapter 290:
Carmen walked straight to Aaden and placed both hands firmly on his silver-clad shoulders.
“I am his family,” she said. Her voice was not loud — it was cold enough to freeze water. She fixed her gaze on the blonde boy. “A real knight uses his sword to protect the weak. A boy who uses his mouth to hurt people when they are alone is nothing but a coward p>
The blonde boy’s face went pale. He stepped back.
“Apologize to him,” Carmen said.
The boys mumbled quick, terrified apologies and scrambled out of the room, nearly tripping over one another.
The moment the door clicked shut, Aaden let out a loud sob and buried his face in Carmen’s stomach.
а𝘥𝖽𝗂𝗰tivе 𝘯o𝘷𝗲ls 𝘰𝗻
Carmen dropped to her knees without hesitation — the dirty floor and the sharp plastic armor ruining her expensive knit dress, and she didn’t care at all. She wrapped her arms around the little boy, pressed his head against her chest, and rocked him gently.
Out in the hallway, Justin stood perfectly still, his hand gripping the brass door handle, knuckles white. He watched Carmen hold his son. The look in his eyes had shifted — no longer merely calculated interest. It was something deeper, more consuming. A gratitude that bordered on reverence.
Aaden’s sobs slowed to hiccups. He pulled back to wipe his eyes — then gasped.
The red velvet cape attached to his armor had torn at the seam during the shoving. It hung limply off his shoulder.
“My cape is broken!” Aaden’s eyes filled with fresh tears. “The play starts in ten minutes p>
Carmen was already on her feet. She caught a stressed drama teacher rushing past the door. “Excuse me — do you have a sewing kit p>
A minute later, she was back on the floor. Her fingers moved quickly, lacking a professional tailor’s precision but steady with purpose. She threaded a needle with gold thread and stitched the heavy velvet back together — the stitches slightly uneven, but strong. To conceal the jagged tear, she twisted the gold thread at the end of the seam into a small knot that vaguely resembled a rosebud.
Aaden watched her hands with wide, reverent eyes. “It looks like magic p>
Carmen tied off the thread and bit the end. She smoothed the cape over his shoulder and smiled. “Now you have a magic cape. Go out there and be brave p>
Aaden threw his arms around her neck and pressed a wet, enthusiastic kiss to her cheek.
“Thank you, Mom!” he shouted happily, then turned and sprinted out the door toward the stage.
Carmen froze. Every muscle in her body turned to stone.
The word echoed in her ears. A sharp, agonizing pain tore through her chest — so intense she gasped. Her hands began to tremble.
Justin stepped into the room and closed the door behind him, shutting out the noise of the hallway. He saw the panic in her eyes. He walked over, reached down, and gently took the sewing kit from her shaking hands.