CHAPTER 4 — THE MAYOR ARRIVES
CHAPTER 4 — THE MAYOR ARRIVES
The roar of police motorcycles echoed across the campus.
Parents rushed toward the windows.
"Someone important is here."
A long black SUV stopped at the entrance.
Seconds later another followed.
Then a third.
The school secretary whispered nervously,
"The mayor..."
Mayor Daniel Reynolds stepped out wearing an expensive navy suit.
Confident.
Smiling.
Certain this was merely another school issue he could smooth over.
An aide hurried beside him.
"Sir, your daughter called. She says she's being harassed."
The mayor adjusted his tie.
"Don't worry."
"I'll handle it."
He entered the cafeteria expecting teachers to greet him.
Instead...
Nobody moved.
Teachers avoided his eyes.
Parents stood silently with folded arms.
Children stared.
At the center of the room stood Don Alfonso.
Still wearing the faded polo shirt.
Still holding Mia's hand.
The mayor recognized him instantly.
His confident smile disappeared.
"...Mr. Alfonso."
Don Alfonso gave a small nod.
"Mayor."
The principal nearly ran toward the mayor.
"Sir, thank goodness you're—"
"Quiet."
The mayor didn't even look at him.
His eyes remained fixed on Don Alfonso.
He had spent years trying to arrange a meeting with the billionaire.
Every request had gone through assistants.
Every invitation had been politely declined.
Yet today...
They met because his own daughter had bullied the billionaire's child.
He turned slowly toward Stacy.
"What happened?"
Stacy burst into tears.
"Daddy!"
"They're lying!"
"I only joked!"
The mayor looked around the cafeteria.
"Did you throw food on this little girl?"
"No!"
Several students answered before Stacy could continue.
"Yes, she did!"
"I saw everything!"
"She stole Mia's lunch money."
"She called her trash."
"She made her sit by the garbage."
More voices joined.
Every statement matched.
Every detail supported the next.
The mayor's shoulders sagged.
He realized something terrifying.
No public relations team could fix this.
Then Victoria Hale handed him the investigation file.
"I suggest you read page twelve."
He opened it.
His eyes widened.
"Impossible..."
Victoria spoke quietly.
"The city's lunch subsidy passed through your office before reaching the school."
The mayor turned pages faster.
Each one revealed another irregularity.
Missing funds.
Forged approvals.
Inflated maintenance contracts.
Scholarship money redirected.
Some documents carried his electronic authorization.
Others had been approved by staff working directly under him.
He looked at Principal Harrison.
"What have you done?"
The principal shook uncontrollably.
"You told us to cut unnecessary expenses!"
"I never told you to steal from children!"
The cafeteria fell silent again.
The mayor slowly removed the gold pin from his jacket.
The symbol of his office.
For the first time in years...
it felt unbearably heavy.
He faced Don Alfonso.
"I owe your daughter an apology."
Don Alfonso answered without emotion.
"You owe every child in this room justice."
Before the mayor could respond, Victoria's phone rang.
She answered briefly.
Then looked at Don Alfonso.
"The State Education Inspector has arrived."
She paused.
"And so has the District Attorney's office."
Outside the cafeteria, flashing lights painted the school walls red and blue.
This was no longer a school scandal.
It had become a criminal investigation.
And Principal Harrison suddenly realized that by sunset...
May you like
he would no longer be a principal.
He would be a suspect.
