Jon kept still, answering silence with silence.

Irritation flared in Felix's eyes. He reached out. "Hand over the mask now."

Jonathan rolled his eyes, turned his back, and folded his arms as if Felix had vanished into thin air.

Felix's cheeks burned. This kid is ignoring him on purpose.

"How dare you ignore me!"

He lunged, fist closing on thin air, intent on ripping the mask away.

Jonathan reacted fast, shoving Felix aside with a single firm push.

Caught off guard, Felix staggered back several steps and landed hard on the polished floor.

Eyes wide, he sputtered, "Y-you pushed me!"

Still sitting on the floor, Felix craned his neck toward the showroom and hollered, "Mom! Mom! Someone's bullying me!"

The instant Miranda heard her son's panicked cry, she let the silk blouse slip from her fingers and charged toward the break room. Felix was on the polished marble, legs splayed, tears and screams ricocheting off the mirrored walls.

the trembling boy into her arms. "Sweetheart, what happened? Tell me who dared lay a hand

thrust a pudgy index finger toward the lone child standing by the door, his

stood a boy about Felix's age-calm, silent, unreadable. Rage flashed across her eyes like lightning over dark water. "Staff! Someone get in here, now!" she barked, her voice slicing


over as three sales associates appeared, the store's pastel uniforms fluttering

well. Her weekly shopping sprees paid their commissions and, more importantly, her family name could ruin their jobs with

gun. "Is this how you run a luxury

The words echoed in the air,

glacial, a winter too

exchanged bewildered looks, wondering who had brought the child

Noting Jonathan's neatly pressed

and polished

eye level. “Hi there kiddo. Where are your

said nothing. Silence, thick

tried again, softer this time, but the mask only offered its

counter, two clerks whispered. "Maybe he can't talk. Could

another offered, as though diagnosing


labels-mute, deaf-made Miranda's confidence swell. A powerless boy, she

If anything happens to Felix,

torn between decency and

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