Side Chick Era... Over

Loving Mom 362

Chapter 362

Xavier lowered his gaze, eyes soft but steady as they fell on Matty. “Matty… do you want Daddy to stand up for you?”

Matty shook his head slightly. “This started because someone tripped Sharon at Theo’s birthday party. If you really want to do something for me, then make the people who humiliated Sharon pay for that instead.”

“Fair enough. Then bring in everyone who caused Sharon to trip that day. First, let’s hear them apologize. As for punishment… that’s up to Carter.”

Carter’s brows lifted, something like surprise flickering in his eyes. “So… are you standing up for Matty, or for Sharon?”

Xavier smiled. “Matty doesn’t need me to fight his battles. If he really couldn’t handle it, he would’ve told me himself. But he didn’t. Which means… to him, this wasn’t anything serious.”

His gaze slid lazily, but unmistakably, toward Nate.

“But honestly… picking on a five-year-old? That’s pathetic.” His tone sharpened, each word slicing clean. “Carter, there’s something I probably shouldn’t say… but I’ll say it anyway.”

Carter met his eyes. “Go on.”

dipped, smooth but laced with quiet ridicule. “A man like you-powerful, influential-and yet you surround yourself with someone like him. You’ve never heard the saying? A man’s taste is

was gentle in

to snap back, but before the words could form, Kelly yanked on his arm, shaking her head at

teeth but

What’s this, Nate? Feeling guilty? Ready

but no words came. His fists clenched, jaw tightening. If Xavier really wanted to hold him accountable, it’d be more

as

Loyalty? That

out his phone and

echoed down the

middle-aged man burst into the

his face folding into a panicked, obsequious

His words stopped dead.

off. “Honey?

head whipped around. His jaw slackened as

the atmosphere-the suffocating tension thick in the air. His gaze