Chapter 448



He shrank back, his demeanor shifting. “I’m sorry,” he stammered.

Sophie responded curtly, “Why did you do it? Don’t ever behave so poorly again.”

The boy bowed his head, his arrogance dissipated, but then he suddenly smirked and shoved Sophie forcefully, causing her to fall onto the sandy beach. The boy, looking about six or seven, had surprisingly strong arms.

Sophie burst into tears from the pain. Kallie’s heart ached for her daughter as she scooped her up immediately, checking her for injuries. The boy’s shove had left bruises.

On a harder surface, it could have been much worse. Anger and sympathy surged through Kallie simultaneously.

Kallie looked up, furious, and spotted the boy hiding behind a young woman. The woman looked to be in her early thirties; Kallie couldn’t imagine her being the boy’s mother. The woman was pretty, with large, teary eyes that were captivating. Right now, she was staring straight at Kallie, clearly unhappy.

Kallie took a deep breath and walked over, Sophie still sobbing in her arms. Since the boy’s guardian was present, Kallie wanted the boy to be disciplined. She had no intention of making a scene.

With a calm voice, Kallie said to the woman, “Hi, I’m this little girl’s mom. Your son just destroyed my daughter’s sandcastle and pushed her down. He needs to apologize to my daughter, and you need to punish him. Despite his young age, he has acted like this. He’ll grow up to be a troublemaker if he keeps this up.”

The woman frowned. “I’m not his mother. I adopted him. Besides, Craig’s never been a bad kid. He’s not mischievous at all. I’m sure he had a reason for what he did.”

Kallie smirked. So, this woman was one of those parents who indulged their kids and even justified their misdeeds? Kallie’s tone turned icy.

“Plenty of people saw what happened. I’m not making this up. Look at the bruises on my daughter. Imagine if she’d fallen on something harder. If you’re not going to make him apologize and punish him, then don’t blame me if I take matters into my own hands and teach him a lesson myself!”

Kallie’s bodyguards were positioned nearby. Sensing the tension escalating, they inched closer, forming a tight circle around the woman and Kallie.

The woman’s face drained of color. Her voice rose sharply. “What’s the meaning of this? Are you trying to intimidate us with your numbers?”

Kallie’s smile was icy. “You’re damn right,” she said, her voice hard. “I tried talking sense, but you wouldn’t listen. Now, we’re doing things my way.”

Fear washed over the woman and the boy. The boy’s face crumpled, and he began to sob uncontrollably. The woman’s jaw clenched, defiance still in her eyes.

“Before I took him in, he was living on the streets. He hasn’t lived comfortably with me for long. Yet, here he is, inadvertently crossing your precious daughter. I figure I have to yield. You wealthy individuals always have things your way and bully others without facing any consequences.”

Saying this, the woman shoved the boy forward. “Go on and apologize to her.”

The boy shook his head violently, his eyes wide with terror. “No! They’ll kill me! This girl said she’d throw me into the ocean to feed the sharks! That’s why I pushed her!”

The woman and the boy, in perfect unison, shifted all the blame onto Kallie and Sophie.

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