"Listen, it's not just a reminder, it's a full stop."

The words came out with a domineering edge as Fitch closed the book in front of him with a gentle snap. His voice carried a threat that was unmistakable, "If Little Stars Preschool can't handle this, I can always take my investments back to Greenfield."

The principal's face went pale as a ghost. If Fitch pulled his funding over this, he'd be the town pariah of Zion City!

"Mr. Haskins, I will make sure Ms. March is stopped."

A brief moment of softness flickered in Fitch's eyes as he opened the door beside him.

"Also, we need to ban all these outsiders from wandering in. If just anyone can stroll in with a bunch of flowers, who's going to guarantee our kids' safety?"

The principal had been about to defend Henry, who had played his violin at the school before and was a friendly face with his fancy college degree and international education.

But sensing Mr. Haskins' animosity towards Henry, the principal quickly amended his stance.

"Right, I'll make sure to inform the security staff. From now on, no one but the school employees are allowed in."

The corner of Fitch's mouth twitched up ever so slightly, "And concerning Nolan, I'll leave that in your capable hands."

The principal mopped the sweat from his brow, "Of course, of course."

After Fitch left the office, he sneaked a glance into the classroom.

He stood in a concealed spot, out of Zoey's sight, but with a clear view of her.

Despite having steeled himself for this moment all night long, seeing her standing there, safe and sound, still gave him an eerie sense of unreality.

He felt a strong urge to light up a cigarette but remembered where he was and reluctantly refrained.

He leaned back against the wall, silently observing her.

Zoey was showing the kids how to craft with their little hands when she felt an intense gaze upon her, its origin unknown.

Feeling uneasy, she scanned the room and locked eyes with Nolan in his quiet corner.

Nolan had the face of a fairytale prince-too exquisite. On his first day, the girls in class had already been trying to chat him up.

But he seemed incredibly shy, responding with monosyllables, which left the other kids feeling dejected.

Zoey had a good talk with him, encouraging him to mingle more, but he just stared at her, hummed an acknowledgment, and continued to keep to himself.

With ten kids in the class, Zoey couldn't spend all her time with just him.

Like now, a little voice piped up, "Ms. March, Ms. March..."

The boy's voice was sweet, a typically mischievous lad.

Zoey smiled and hurried over, squatting down next to him, "What's up?"

"I can't do this."

She quickly sorted out the paper strips he had stitched together, and a tiger appeared.

The boy's cheeks flushed with excitement as he grabbed Zoey's arm.

"Wow, Ms. March, you're amazing!"

The sincere praise from the child was indeed heartwarming.

Zoey's smile deepened, and she patted his head gently.

"If you're feeling good about it, you'll have to eat more veggies at lunch and not just pick out the meat, okay?"

"Okay, I will."

Zoey pulled her hand back and noticed that Nolan had created three lifelike animals: one was Ozzy, another resembled Tyler's current dog, and the third was Rocky, the wolf king from Maja's family. She was surprised; the child's craftsmanship was far superior to her own.

She had practiced countless times with videos to make animals she could now craft in her sleep.

"Nolan, did you make these? They're wonderful."

Nolan's cheeks flushed with a touch of red, his envy buried deep, "Yeah."

Zoey glanced at Ozzy, instantly taking a liking to the little dog.

"Is this your pet? What's his name?"

"Ozzy."

She chuckled softly, "That name seems a bit offhand. Did you pick it?"

"My mom."

Realizing she was treading on sensitive ground, she swiftly changed the subject, "The other two are also very nice. Nolan, you're very talented. Why don't you take a break now that you're done?" As Nolan watched her move to help others, a shadow of disappointment crossed his face.

He should have worked slower. He now understood that mommies preferred the kids who weren't so quick on the uptake.

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