42 Lorenzo held Mia tightly against his strong chest, feeling the subtle tremors in her body. His large hand stroked her hair, steadily and patiently like a pendulum clock, trying to restore peace to her shattered world.
Lorenzo held Mia tightly against his strong chest, feeling the subtle tremors in her body. His large hand stroked her hair, steadily and patiently like a pendulum clock, trying to restore peace to her shattered world.
“Look at you, darling,” he whispered, his voice low and protective.
Mia sobbed, her voice breaking like glass:
“The lights… are too bright…”
“You know,” Lorenzo replied immediately, without a hint of doubt.
“Everyone was screaming…”
“You know.”
“And she… she saved me.”
Mia’s tiny finger trembled as she pointed directly at Karen.
In an instant, the entire shopping mall seemed to lose its rhythm. All whispers ceased. All eyes turned in one direction. Karen suddenly found herself surrounded by a dozen curious gazes, and most frightening of all—the deep, heavy, oppressive eyes of Lorenzo Rossi.
He was a man who not only possessed immense wealth, but also wielded an invisible power that made every room he entered fall silent.
Lorenzo stood up. He effortlessly lifted Mia with one arm as if she were a feather, then strode toward Karen.
Brenda Wallace rushed forward, interrupting, forcing out a perfectly professional smile:
“Mr. Rossi, I am extremely sorry for this unfortunate incident. We have immediately dealt with the personnel—”
Lorenzo didn’t look at her. Not even a glance. His gaze was completely fixed on Karen.
“You were the one who helped her?”
Karen paused for a moment, taken aback by his intimidating presence, then nodded slightly:
“She’s experiencing sensory overload (overstimulated). I was just trying to help her calm down.”
Lorenzo silently looked at her, his gaze penetrating to her very soul.
“My niece has autism,” he said flatly. “I’ve noticed the symptoms.”
The tense atmosphere eased momentarily. Then, he uttered two words:
“Thank you.”
The entire shop froze. Brenda’s eyes widened in astonishment, while Karen was stunned, completely flustered. Lorenzo Rossi had never humbled himself to thank anyone—especially not in front of those he considered inferior.
Mia snuggled deeper into her cousin’s neck, murmuring, “She even sang to me.”
Lorenzo raised an eyebrow slightly: “She sang?”
Karen forced a hesitant smile: “It’s just a melody to help her focus. To give her something to lean on.”
Lorenzo’s eyes flickered—a subtle but palpable shift.
“Most people, when they encounter children like her, try to ‘fix’ them,” he said, his voice low but clear. “Or get rid of them.”
He paused, looking directly into her eyes.
“But you don’t.”
Karen swallowed, her gaze returning to its core: “They’re not ‘problems’ to fix. They’re just overwhelmed. What they need is support, not pressure.”
A long, reverent silence fell over the room.
Then, Lorenzo slowly turned his head. His gaze finally fell on Brenda Wallace.
The temperature in the room instantly dropped below freezing.
“Who fired her?”
Brenda shuddered, but her pride made her quickly straighten up:
“It was me, sir. She seriously violated the store’s regulations.”
Lorenzo didn’t fly into a rage. He remained silent.
Three seconds passed. Then four. The silence stretched to a suffocating degree.
“Interesting,” he finally spoke, his tone eerily calm. That calmness was more terrifying than a raging storm. He swept his gaze across the luxurious store.
“Tell me, Miss Wallace… what is the annual revenue of this branch?”
Brenda hesitated: “Uh… a few million dollars, sir.”
“Amidst such a colossal figure,” Lorenzo said softly, each word like a dagger piercing the floor, “…you can’t even afford a moment of compassion?”
No one dared breathe. Brenda’s confidence had completely crumbled, her face drained of all color.
“Mr. Rossi, please show us some respect—”
“No.”
Lorenzo’s voice wasn’t loud, but it cut her off cruelly and decisively.
“Respect is something this place is so dilapidated it’s practically devoid of.”
