The King Of War Returns (Jaden Rift) novel Chapter 170

Inside Bright Star Kindergarten’s Sunflower Classroom, chaos reigned.

The teacher was nowhere in sight.

Instead, a fat boy with a smug grin tugged on a rope like he was walking a dog. Except it wasn’t a dog—it was a little girl, crawling helplessly on her hands and knees, the rope tied around her neck.

“Move it, mutt!” the pudgy boy snapped. “You're my dog, Mia! Bark! Now!”

Mia, no older than four, dragged herself forward, her dress dirty, her cheeks stained with chalk and dust. Her lips trembled. Tears streaked down her grubby face as she gasped for air.

But she didn’t bark.

The boy yanked the rope harder. “I said bark, stupid b******! You don’t have a daddy, do you? That’s what you are. Say it! Say you’re a b******!”

“No…” Mia choked out through quiet sobs, her tiny fingers digging into the cold floor. “I’m not a b-b******…”

A circle of children watched with wide, entertained eyes. None of them stepped in. They laughed like this was just another cartoon show.

“I’m the king here!” the boy barked. “When I say bark, you bark. Or I’ll make everyone beat you!”

The door swung open.

Jaden and Selena stepped inside.

Selena froze mid-step. Her vision blurred, heart stalling in her chest. For a split second, she didn’t move.

Then her instincts took over.

“Mia!”

She bolted forward, scooping her daughter into her arms like she was saving her from a burning building. The rope came off with a sharp tug, and she tossed it aside like it was a venomous snake.

Her voice cracked. “What happened to you, baby? Who did this?”

Mia buried her face into her mother's chest, her sobs breaking into trembling gasps. “Mama... Robin said I’m a b******… he said… if I didn’t bark like a dog, he’d get everyone to beat me…”

Selena’s blood ran cold. Her jaw clenched. Rage burst inside her like wildfire.

Robin Krane. That name hit her like a punch in the gut.

That nasty little brat. The son of that wretched woman who paraded around town like royalty just because her husband ran a dealership.

Selena held Mia tighter. “No, baby. You are not a b******,” she said firmly. “You have a papa.”

Mia sniffled, confused. “But... Mia doesn’t have a papa…”

Jaden stepped forward, his voice low but full of resolve. “You do. I’m right here.”

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