I'm only 15. I don't have an ID. The situation spiraled as. Jaden realized his words were falling on deaf ears. Anger and helplessness bubbled up inside him as he felt trapped by the false accusations.
Miller's expression hardened. "Then you'll have to come with me to the station until we can figure this out," he said, stepping closer. Jaden's eyes widened in panic. He backed away, his breaths coming faster. "I haven't done anything wrong," he said, his voice cracking.
"I'm not going anywhere." Miller reached out, grabbing. Jaden's arm. Don't make this harder than it needs to be, Miller said firmly. Jaden yanked his arm away. "Let me go," he shouted, tears streaming down his face.
Karen gasped, her face twisted with indignation. "See," she said. "He's being aggressive. I told you he was trouble." The commotion quickly drew the attention of passersby. A small crowd began to form, murmurs growing louder as people pulled out their phones to make video.
Jaden felt the weight of their stares, their judgment pressing down on him like a heavy load. He cried harder, his mind racing with fears of the worst possible outcome. Headlines labeling him a criminal, his mother's disappointment, and the lasting humiliation. As. Miller struggled to restrain.
Jaden and. Karen looked on smugly, the tension in the air became unbearable. Just when it seemed everything had spiraled out of control, a commanding voice rang out. Let him go. The crowd fell silent instantly, heads turning toward the source of the voice.
There stood. Harriet Brooks, the mayor of the city, striding into the scene with an air of authority. The late afternoon sun cast its warm glow over City Hall's sleek facade. Inside her office, Harriet Brooks leaned back in her plush chair, her mind still buzzing from a day packed with meetings, phone calls, and endless paperwork. She glanced at the clock on her desk and smiled faintly.
It had been a long day, but she had promised her son. Jaden that they'd have dinner together. He was waiting for her in the parking lot, and she hated the thought of keeping him waiting any longer. With a sense of purpose, Harriet pushed her chair back and stood, smoothing out her tailored blazer. She draped her custom-made coat over her shoulders, slipped on her favorite pair of heels, and grabbed her leather briefcase.
Stepping out of her office, she pressed the button for the elevator and watched the doors glide open. As the elevator descended, Harriet thought about. Jaden and how patient he always was with her busy schedule. She made a silent promise to let him order as many of his favorite dishes as he wanted tonight. It was a small way to make up for the long hours she'd spent away from him lately.
When the elevator chimed and the doors slid open, Harriet stepped into the lobby, her heels clicking against the marble floor, she pushed open the glass doors and was greeted by the cool evening breeze. But just as she was about to walk toward her car, something caught her attention. A small crowd had gathered near the far end of the parking lot. At first, Harriet thought it might be a minor commotion, an argument over a parking spot, or something equally mundane. But as she drew closer, she heard a voice.
It was high-pitched and frantic, cutting through the murmur of the onlookers. It was. Jaden's voice. Her heart sank, and a cold sense of dread washed over her. Quickening her pace, Harriet's heels clacked louder against the pavement.
She weaved through the crowd, catching snippets of conversation. "That poor boy! Why are they treating him like that? Someone should call his parents." And then she saw him. Jaden was in the middle of the crowd, struggling to pull his arm free from the grip of.
Miller, the head of City Hall security. His face was flushed, tears streaming down his cheeks as he cried out, "Let me go. I didn't do anything wrong." Next to. Miller stood. Karen White, her arms crossed smugly and her voice rising over the noise.
"You see how he's resisting? He's dangerous. I told you he was trouble." Harriet's chest tightened as she took in the scene. Her son, humiliated and terrified, surrounded by strangers filming with their phones and whispering among themselves. Her fury boiled over.
"Let him go!" she shouted, her voice ringing out like a thunderclap. The crowd fell silent and every head turned in her direction. Miller and. Karen froze, their eyes widening in shock. Harriet pushed through the remaining few onlookers until she stood in front of her son.
Her commanding presence enhanced by her tailored coat and heels left no doubt as to who she was. "Madame Mayor," Miller stammered, his hand immediately releasing. Jaden's arm. Karen's face turned ghostly pale, her confident smirk replaced with sheer panic. Jaden's tear-streaked face lit up with a mix of relief and exhaustion.
"Mom," he cried, his voice breaking as he threw himself into her arms. Harriet held him tightly, one hand stroking his back, her other arm protectively shielding him from the crowd. "The boy you wanted to arrest," she said, her voice low and dangerously calm. "Is my son?" Jaden's tear-streaked face lit up with relief. "Mom," he cried, his voice trembling with emotion.
Harriet rushed to her son, pulling him into a protective embrace. His tears soaked into her blazer as he clung to her. Finally feeling safe, Harriet turned sharply. her fiery gaze locking onto. Karen and. Miller.
Her voice was cold and cutting as she spoke. "The boy you're trying to detain is my son." Karen's face went pale, her lips trembled as she tried to form a response. "Yeah," she stammered. "What did my son do to deserve this treatment?" Harriet demanded, her voice rising with anger. Karen's confidence faltered, her expression shifting to one of regret.