Chapter 23: A Nice Comeback
Principal’s Office – Later That Day
The air was heavier inside the principal’s office than it had been on the bloodstained rooftop.
Ethan entered calmly, a thin white bandage peeking out from under his sleeve. Standing beside him was the same teacher who had taken him to the university clinic, now pale and silent.
Seated on the leather couch across the room were Axel’s parents.
Mrs. Crowne had the kind of face that looked like a makeup tutorial gone wrong—overly contoured cheeks, sharp eyeliner wings that could slice metal, and fake lashes so thick they cast shadows. Her jewelry jingled with every movement, and her leopard-print coat looked like it came from a discount villain store.
Mr. Crowne, on the other hand, resembled a sun-dried raisin in a three-piece suit. His receding hairline was hidden under a glossy toupee that shifted every time he turned his head. He didn’t speak yet—just narrowed his beady eyes.
The nameplate on the desk read: Principal Kudo. He sat stiffly, dabbing his forehead with a tissue.
The Crowne family was infamous. Their corporation—CROWNE TECH INDUSTRIES—was a shadow giant: investments in surveillance, defense contracts, and offshore manufacturing. Whispers of corruption followed them everywhere, but so did money. And money made problems disappear.
Their Tagline: "Your life, our watch."
Funny, considering their own son needed protection from a single student.
Principal Kudo forced a smile. "Let’s get to the matter. Ethan, please tell us what happened."