TEN(Tampered brakes)

The ride back home was going smoothly until the car suddenly began to speed then suddenly came to a stop, causing everyone to jerk forward,

"What just happened?!" Mia questioned curiously,

"Noel! Are you okay?" George questioned, totally ignoring her question.

Noel gently nodded.

"I'm okay too. Thanks for asking." Mia told him.

George and the driver got out of the car to see what had happen.

"I think someone tried to tamper with the brakes." The driver said in a low tone.

"How is that even possible, weren't you in the car the whole time?!" George snapped,

"....Sir." The driver scratched the back of his head nervously,

"....I stepped out for a bit while the show was going on, but I swear....It wasn't even up to five minutes." He said.

"That was enough time for whosoever did this to do this! Do you want to lose your job!"

"I'm sorry Sir, I'll pay close attention from now on."

"I doubt they'll even be a next time after the Chairman hears this—"

"Sir! Please, I got a wife and two little kids—"

"You should have thought about that before you decided to put the young master's life in danger—"

"Hey!" Mia called as she stuck her head outside the window,

"Is everything okay?!" She questioned curiously.

"....Um, it's nothing, we're calling for backup, hang in there for a little while." George replied.

"I can't stay in here much longer, I need to stretch my legs." She complained then eventually came down from the vehicle.

"Noel and I will go for a short walk, while you sort this out-"

"No! That's too dangerous!" George snapped,

"Relax Mr. Bodyguard! It's just a walk." She replied, waving her hands dismissively.

She gently led Noel out of the car and held his hands, turning to George, she told him,

"Call me once it's fixed....Or you think of something." She smirked then walked away, holding the boy.

George was worried. For one, Mia was a complete stranger and two the brakes had been tampered with, he wasn't sure letting Noel out of his sight was the right thing to do.

It was unusually cold tonight, and Mia could feel the cool breeze slapping across her face.

"It's really cold tonight." She chuckled as she rubbed her palms tonight.

"That's because it's going to snow." Noel grinned,

"How do you know that?" She questioned with a puzzled look,

"The weatherman said so." He happily replied,

"The weatherman?"

"....Yeah, the one from the news." He grinned.

"Wow, a seven year old who watches the news." She chuckled,

Just then, he spotted a small cotton candy stand just across the street,

"Cotton candy!" He yelled excitedly.

Mia laughed,

"You like cotton candy?" 

"....I've never had one before, Daddy doesn't let me, he says junk food isn't good for the body." He told her with a small frown,

"....Ner! It's not." She smirked as she waved her hand dismissively.

"Would you like to try one?" She added,

"Really?' His eyes beamed,

"Sure!" Mia grinned,

"C'mon!" She told him excitedly as she they crossed the street. 

Mia purchased a large fluffy bunny eared cotton candy and a small one for herself. She watched him take the first bite, and from the look on his face, she could tell he liked it.

"What other cool stuff do you do apart from watching the news?" She began

Noel giggled, he was enjoying the cotton candy and their small conversation.

"....Well, I like to read books."

"What kinda books?"

"Any one with lots of colorful pictures?" He grinned while Mia laughed out loud.

"Oh my goodness Little Man, you're so funny." She continued as she cleaned the happy tears off the corners of her eyes.

"....I also love star gazing with Daddy." He added with a small smile.

"Awn." Mia cooed,

"That's really sweet." she added.

'At least he isn't that cold hearted towards his son.' She thought.

"Daddy said every star represents a person."

"Really?" She grinned,

"Yeah!" He grinned,

" So which one's your star?" She asked as they both shifted their gazes to dark skies.

"....The big bright shiny one!" He pointed.

Mia smiled,

"Off course you are."

She stared at him and realized how special he was. He was an extraordinary child, maybe that's why his father was overprotective of him. Just then, her thoughts were interrupted by Noel yelling,

"Snow! Snow! Snow!" 

Mia laughed,

"The weatherman was correct, and so were you!" She grinned.

Noel seized the opportunity to play a little like a child dancing under the rain.

Mia watched him, and laughed heartily.

"Hey, c'mon, let's go over to that large field, 

Noel nodded and they laughed and ran like two small children. Mia led to the large field, where they played under the falling snow spinning, dancing and laughed.

They were engrossed in their fun time that Mia didn't realize her phone had ringing.

Soon afterwards, George arrived with a very worried look on his face,

"I kept calling and why didn't you answer!" He snapped. "The car's been fixed." he added breathlessly,

"I thought something happened. I had to run all the way up here!" He said.

"Oh! I'm really sorry about that, we totally got carried away." She said, tossing him an apologetic smile.

"You're sorry, huh!! I told you not to leave the car—"

"Did something happen, why are you getting so worked up about this?" Mia asked with annoyance,

"Off—" George suddenly paused and pulled Mia aside,

"Someone tried to tamper with the brakes." He whispered, Mia gasped,

"Oh my goodness, I'm really sorry, I—"

"No worries! We just need to get him home safe now." He said as he waved his hands dismissively.

He wasn't entirely against Mia's method of having fun, he felt the kid needed a break sometimes, and Mia was exactly the right person for the job.

"....Noel looks like he was having fun, but we've got to go, like right now, his dad's flight arrives in less than an hour, and Mr. Chairman won't be pleased to get home and not see his son." George said almost loudly, he looked like he was going to have a panic attack.

"Oh my goodness!" Mia yelled as she immediately swung into action, George carried Noel and together, they rushed to the car. Noel who was apparently having fun yelled as they reached to the car and got in.

"Yay!!! We made it!"

The driver stepped on the gas and drove as fast he could.

Despite the traffic, they got lucky and got home before Ethan arrived. Noel was already asleep when they arrived so they quickly took him to bed while the driver drove Mia back home.