BuzzNovel“Dad! Mom!” Alessia and Zachary greeted them with easy smiles as they wove through the after-school crowd.
The food truck was parked on the busy corner, with students thronging around the window, laughter and chatter
echoing down the
street.
“Zachary, Lessie, you're here,” Karen said warmly, her hands moving deftly as she packed up another order.
“I thought you two were supposed to head straight hafter school,” Brendan called over his shoulder, sliding
a box of freshly wrapped sandwiches across the counter to a waiting customer. He pressed the few remaining
bills from the cash box into Alessia’s hand. “Are you hungry? Go pick out something you want.”
Alessia caught Zachary’s eye, giving him a subtle signal. Zachary stepped in, blocking Brendan's view as Alessia
quickly slipped the money between the box and the side of the truck, safely out of sight.
When she finished, Zachary flashed her an OK sign behind his back. Alessia ducked her head to hide a fleeting
smile, and when she looked up again, her face was composed and calm.
“We just wanted to see if you needed any help before the rush died down.”
“There's nothing left to do here. You two should head hand start the rice; we'll be back soon after we finish
up.” Between words, the soft chof mobile payments kept ringing, signaling new orders.
Most of the customers were students, pausing to glance curiously at the family’s truck as they passed.
“Hey, can | get one seaweed wrap?” a girl asked from the front of the line.
“Sure! What flavor?” Karen replied without missing a beat.
“Original, please. Hey, Ignatius, do you want anything?”
No answer. She called his nagain, a little more insistent this time. Following her gaze, Alessia’s heart sank.
“Oh, look who it is-the ice prince of Crestview High,” Ignatius sneered, his words cutting through the crowd.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt“Heard your family went bankrupt. Guess the rumors
were true.”
“Ignatius!” someone hissed, trying to rein him in.
1/2
14:41
“Hey, at least we had money to lose,” Alessia shot back, her voice cool and
measured, each word laced with quiet scorn. “Unlike you-speople are born to stay at the bottom.”
Ignatius’s smile faltered. When he noticed Alessia’s worn jacket, though, he forced a smirk. “Well, if it isn’t the
former princess who got kicked out of her own castle.”
Zachary stepped between them, wrapping a protective arm around Alessia’s shoulders. A flicker of anger flashed
in his eyes.
“Hey, kid. Ever heard of manners?” Brendan wiped his hands and cout from behind the counter, face set
and steady. Karen followed, standing quietly in front of Alessia, shielding her from further attack.
The crowd thickened, most of them curious students drawn by the confrontation.
“Zachary, why don’t you and Lessie head hnow?” Brendan said gently.
Zachary frowned but nodded. He
knew Ignatius was only here to stir
up trouble, and lea ingryoutdo mM
h cfu AIS HSCs
tay however, wasn't about to let
them go so easily. His eyes darted to
the food cart, and he raised his voice
theatrically. The content is on
novelenglish.net! Read the latest
chapter there!
“Wait a second—I'm pretty sure | saw
a fly land right in that rice bowl. You
guys ever heard of Jeg \Wwhatlif
ope 0g goniofs 4 t sick right
before finals? Who's going to pay for
that, huh? Actually, maybe | should
call the health department and have
them take a look around.” The
content is on novelenglish.net! Read
the latest chapter there!
His voice carried over the heads of the crowd, and suddenly, the curious onlookers started muttering, glancing
suspiciously at the food truck.
Brendan, who'd once run a company,
remained composed despite the
mounting ib deity (iT)
oll pug aSoE0 his now, their
business would be finished before it
even began. False accusations like
this could destroy a small family
operation. The content is on
novelenglish.net! Read the latest
chapter there!
Before he could respond, Alessia’s voice rang out from behind him-clear, steady, and just loud enough to reach
everyone. The chatter faded to silence.
“That's funny. You didn’t order anything, and you never even cclose to the food truck. So tell us-exactly
when did you see a fly land in a bowl that’s been sealed shut all afternoon?”
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