Chapter 6

Connor’s voice vibrated through the silent ballroom, heavy with the weight of a man who had never been told no.

"No one takes anything from my son."

He stood directly in front of Tyler, blocking our son from the headmaster’s reach. At the VIP tables, several donors lowered their champagne flutes, exchanging uncomfortable glances. A board member who had spent the entire evening chatting with Connor quietly shifted his chair back, breaking eye contact. One of the primary investors for Connor's real estate firm looked down at his glass, suddenly refusing to catch Connor's eye.

The headmaster, Mr. Vance, adjusted…