She Was the Treasure All Along novel Chapter 912

After a moment of silence, Gigi asked just one question.

"Sir, if I don't forgive them, will my mommy and I be in danger?"

Dario and his wife froze. What did this kid just say?!

Giselle, equally stunned, looked down at her daughter.

Hank crouched lower, looking her straight in the eye with absolute solemnity. "Gigi, there is no one in this world who can hurt you or your mom. And if anyone ever tries, I will handle them before they can even lay a finger on you. Do you believe me?"

He honestly wasn't sure if his words carried enough weight. After all, in this little girl's life, he was just some random guy who had suddenly appeared a few days ago.

Gigi stared back at him, her mind made up.

"I believe you, Sir. So, I don't forgive them." Gigi's voice was childishly soft but piercingly clear. "The last time Lanny called me a bad name, he apologized, and Mommy and I forgave him. I'm not giving them another chance this time."

Hank scooped Gigi up, settling her into the crook of his arm, his face radiating absolute pride and adoration. "That's my..."

Giselle immediately stepped hard on his foot.

Hank's expression twitched, his sentence cutting off sharply as he corrected himself. "You're amazing, Gigi. That's exactly how you make sure no one ever bullies you. You made the perfect choice."

He shot Principal Sutton a meaningful look.

Understanding the assignment, Principal Sutton flagged down three security guards to haul Dario's family up. "Mr. Ludlow, Ms. Nash, please come with me to the office to process Lanny's expulsion," he said as they were dragged away. "From tomorrow on, don't bother bringing him back. Good luck to you."

Ms. Nash was dragged off wailing at the top of her lungs, utterly consumed by regret. In a city like Metropia, where power players walked every street, how could she have let the glitz and glamour blind her? She had lost herself, stepped on the wrong toes, and now her entire life was in ruins.

But what was done was done. Regret couldn't rewrite the past.

Seeing the mess cleared up, Hank set Gigi down and patted her head. "Alright, run along to your team and get ready for the opening ceremony."

Gigi flashed a bright smile. "See you in a bit, Mommy! See you, Sir!"

After Hank's terrifying display of dominance, every parent in the school looked at Giselle with a newfound mix of awe and fear.

Giselle knew exactly what this meant. No one would ever dare cross her daughter again. Thanks to Hank, Gigi might even suddenly find herself with a lot of new friends.

She felt a complicated knot in her chest, unsure if this was truly a blessing.

With the opening ceremony wrapped up, the parent-child sports day officially began.

"Three-legged race! Parents, please bring your children to the starting line!"

Giselle's phone buzzed with a work call. Since she had taken time off for this, there were bound to be fires she had to put out. She was just about to decline it so she could focus on Gigi.

But Hank gently took Gigi's hand. "Take your call. I'll do this one with her."

Standing on the sidelines, Giselle watched the tall man and the little girl laughing and running across the field. Deep inside, the icy, stubborn walls she had built around her heart began to crack.

She closed her eyes and took a shaky breath, reminding herself that this was probably just his tactic to win his daughter back. She couldn't let herself waver. She couldn't afford to think about the past, and she absolutely refused to go back to it.

During halftime, Giselle told them to take a seat while she went to the snack stand to buy ice cream.

Gigi sat on a bench by the field, her little legs swinging in the air. Hank sat beside her, one arm draped casually over the back of the bench, looking completely at ease.

The sunlight spilled over them, casting their shadows side by side on the grass.

Gigi toyed with the small stuffed animal she had won, her expression suddenly looking a bit conflicted.

Hank was busy watching the other kids run around and didn't notice her shift in mood.

"Sir," Gigi finally spoke up, her voice much quieter than usual, as if she were afraid someone might overhear.

"Yeah?" He turned to her.

Gigi didn't look up. She traced the edge of her water bottle cap with her finger, back and forth, before abruptly stopping.

"You're my dad, aren't you?"