“Father, I’m fine. What brings you here?” Zachary hurried over <i>to </i>greet him, with Cole and Alessia following suit, offering polite hellos.


    Sensing the tension in the air, Ste and Justin quietly moved <i>to </i>stand beside Queenie. The two exchanged a knowing nce; Ste nodded and zipped her lips, signaling that they should keep quiet and stay <i>out </i>of it.


    Six, who’d been disced by Zachary, gave up his spot and immediately noticed Alessia’s red, swollen eyes. With a slight frown, he drifted over to her side.


    “What’s this, some kind of theater?” he muttered.


    “Just a pity act,” Alessia whispered back.


    Six shot her a thumbs–up, then stayed put, watching the standoff between Xander, Zachary, Carlson, and the Chesters.


    “Big brother, what are you doing here?” Chester blurted out, clearly surprised by Carlson’s arrival–but also visibly relieved.


    “Look at these people, Carl. He’s the one who broke Mom’s ribs. I told him to pay up, but he refuses to admit it–now he’s trying to turn it around and sue us! Can you believe this? Is there any justice left in this world?” Chester jabbed a finger at Zachary, then pointed at everyone else in turn.


    “And that one–ims to be awyer. The lot of them are in cahoots!”


    “Oh, will you shut up already?” Carlson red at his hopelessly clueless brother, wishing he had a roll of duct tape to p over his mouth.


    “Attorney Morton, this is all just a misunderstanding, really.” He turned to Ethan with a forced smile, then nced at Zachary. “Zachary, you remember me, don’t you?”


    Zachary nodded, He’d treated Carlson’s back injury before, given him acupuncture and prescribed medicine–three, maybe four times all told.


    “My idiot brother never finished school–doesn’t know any better. Don’t take it to heart. Whatever <i>you </i>think we owe, I’ll pay. There’s no need to make this official, right? No need <i>to </i>blow things out of proportion.”


    Carlson’s sudden humility toward a kid left Chester rattled; he immediately shrank back, trying to disappear. After all, their whole family depended on Carlson–if they made him angry, they’d be out on the street by morning.


    <b>09:41 </b>


    pter 348


    “I…” Zachary looked away.


    He honestly didn’t want to back down. If it were just about him, maybe he’d let it go. But these people had made Lessie cry–he couldn’t just swallow it. Still, with Carlson being on good terms with his mentor, if things got ugly…


    “Carlson, don’t me me for being blunt, but this case needs <i>to </i>be filed!” Xander’s


    words cut through Zachary’s doubts like a lifeline, filling him with renewed


    confidence.


    “Mr. Dawson, that’s not really necessary, is it?” Carlson stammered, expecting Xander to take his side, never imagining he’d be the one to oppose him.


    “My apprentice–I know his character. If you doubt him, you’re doubting me,” Xander snapped.


    “And Lessie’s the girl I’ve watched grow up since she was little. I’ve never seen her cry, but your brother managed it, didn’t he? Don’t me me. If you want to me someone, me your brother’s greed for money that isn’t his!”


    Carlson was left speechless, ring at Chester in frustration. Xander, meanwhile, continued on, unconcerned with the difort around him.


    Given his age and status, who in this room would dare contradict him?


    “People ought to be decent and honest. Scrambling for a few thousand dors by bullying these kids–aren’t you ashamed?” Xander shot a pointed look at Chester, who was cowering behind Carlson. There was no mistaking who his words were


    aimed at.


    <b><i>212 </i></b>