Kai stood inches from the man, a smile spreading across his face. "I won't waste my time with you," he said. "You're just dirt."
The man sneered, his hand rising as if to strike Kai. But before he could make contact, he stumbled backward, clutching at his chest. "What...what's happening to me?" he gasped.
Kai laughed to himself, a low, menacing sound. "Look at you," he said. "You're having a heart attack just from looking at me. You think you can take me on?"
The people surrounding them watched in amazement as the man stumbled and fell to his knees. Kate stood silently, her eyes wide with fear, as Sophia held her hand stiffly.
Kai's eyes locked onto the man, and he pulled him into an illusionary state. In this state, the man found himself trapped in a house with no windows or doors. Smoke enveloped him, and he coughed and choked, desperate to escape.
But to the people watching, it seemed as though the man was simply coughing uncontrollably. They looked on in confusion, unsure of what was happening.
Kai snapped back to reality, releasing the man from the illusion. The man collapsed to the floor, gasping for air.
Kai stood over him, his eyes blazing with anger. "So tough, huh?" he said. "Not so tough now. Are you going to take back what you said? Are you still going to claim that we're not eligible to take care of Kate?"
The man looked up at Kai, his eyes filled with fear and hatred. But he said nothing.
Kai turned to Sophia and said, "Mom, let's go." Sophia nodded, and they walked away, leaving the man and the securities behind.
As they walked, the man shouted after them, "Do you know me? Do you know me?"
Kai turned back to him, a smile spreading across his face. The securities closed in around the man, asking him, "So what happened?"
The man pointed at Kai, his eyes wild with accusation. "He tried to rob me," he said.
Kai raised an eyebrow, a look of amusement on his face. "Rob you? Ha! You are the one who's been robbed, you silly man. Of your dignity and your sanity, it seems."
The man's face turned red with rage, and he lunged at Kai. But the securities intercepted him, holding him back.
Kai looked at the man, a smirk still on his face. "Ha! You are really crazy."
The man screamed, his eyes bulging with fury. "You will see! This is not the end! This is not the end!"
Kai chuckled, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Oh, really? Bring it on."
With that, Kai turned around and walked away, leaving the man and the securities behind.
As Kai, Sophia, and Kate walked away from the confrontation, Kai thought to himself, "Yes, they might think she's a stray because of the clothes she's wearing. But Mom has cleaned her up and put a nice ribbon in her hair. She looks more cute than ever."
He thought about how they didn't have any children's clothes at home, just his and Sophia's. That's why they had to come to town to get Kate new clothes and buy her all sorts of things.
As they walked, Kai asked Kate, "Little Kate, are you alright? Are you fine?"
She said, "Yes, brother Kai. I'm just a little bit scared of that bad man."
Kai reassured her, "You don't have to be afraid. Brother Kai is here to protect you, and Mom Sophia is going to protect you."
Kate looked up at him with wide eyes and asked, "Are you like Superman? You're going to protect me from the bad guys and fly in the air?" She made a flying gesture with her hand.
Kai laughed and said, "Yes, something like that."
Sophia interrupted, "Uh, Kai, there's a shop there. You can go in there for children's clothes."
As they entered the shop, they were greeted by the warm and inviting atmosphere. The walls were painted a soft, creamy white, and the floors were made of polished wooden planks. The air was filled with the sweet scent of freshly laundered clothes.
Racks upon racks of colorful clothing lined the walls, each one carefully organized by size and type. There were rows of tiny t-shirts, adorable dresses, and even a section dedicated to cozy sleepwear.
The shop assistant, a friendly-looking woman with curly brown hair and a warm smile, approached them. She was dressed in a crisp white blouse and a pair of tailored black pants, and a name tag on her lapel read "Emily."
"Hello, sir! Hello, ma'am!" Emily said, her eyes sparkling with welcome. "How may I help you today?"
Kai and Sophia exchanged a glance, and then Sophia spoke up. "We're looking for clothes for her," she said, nodding towards Kate. "We're not sure what size she wears, though."
Emily's eyes flicked to Kate, and a look of curiosity crossed her face. She was clearly wondering how they didn't know Kate's size, but she didn't ask any questions. Instead, she nodded and said, "Well, we have a variety of clothes here. Let me show you some options."
She led them to a section of the store filled with adorable outfits for little girls. There were dresses with fluffy skirts, tops with cute cartoon characters, and even a few pairs of sturdy-looking pants.
As they began to browse, Emily asked, "Do you have any idea what style you're looking for? We have everything from casual playwear to dressier outfits for special occasions."
Sophia hesitated, clearly unsure of what to choose. But Kate, who had been quietly observing the proceedings, suddenly piped up.
"I want a dress with a princess on it!" she exclaimed, her eyes shining with excitement.
Kai and Sophia exchanged a glance, and then Kai smiled. "Well, I think we can find something like that," he said.
As Kate excitedly said, "I want a dress with a princess on it!" they moved forward in the shop. The shop assistant showed them where the dresses were, and they carefully selected a few options.
Before trying them on, the assistant asked, "Little Kate, would you like to go try this dress on?" Kate's eyes widened with excitement as she nodded eagerly.
She changed into the dress and emerged from the fitting room, twirling around to show off her new outfit. Sophia and Kai couldn't help but smile at how adorable she looked.
"Turn around, Kate!" Sophia exclaimed. Kate obliged, spinning around in a circle as they admired her new dress.
Kai chuckled, saying, "You look beautiful, Kate!" Kate beamed with pride, thanking him with a big smile.
Next, they moved on to the T-shirts. Kate's eyes scanned the colorful racks, and she excitedly pointed out her favorite colors. "I want a blue T-shirt! And a pink one! And a red one!"
The shop assistant followed them patiently, helping them find the perfect clothes. As they browsed, Kai and Sophia didn't seem to worry about the prices, which ranged from Seven Hundred to Ten Thousand Rand.
The shop assistant couldn't help but think to herself, "Wow, they're just grabbing clothes without even checking the prices!" As she calculated the total in her mind, she estimated it would be over Sixty Thousand Rand.
Finally, they made their way to the cashier, where they unloaded their selections. Kai thanked the assistant for her help and handed her One Thousand Rand.
The assistant was taken aback, saying, "No, sir, I couldn't accept that!" Kai smiled and said, "No, it's because you helped us so nicely. You were very kind and patient with us."
The assistant looked surprised but pleased by Kai's kind words. "Thank you, sir," she said, accepting the tip.
As the assistant reluctantly accepted the tip, she thought to herself, "Wow, I've never seen anyone give away money like that! I only make Seven Thousand to Ten Thousand Rand a month, and this boy just gave me One Thousand Rand."
Kai, sensing her thoughts, smiled knowingly to himself. He had read her mind, understanding her surprise and gratitude.
As they were at the cashier, waiting for the cashier to ring up their purchases, a woman with a distinctive brooch walked into the store. She was accompanied by a man and a young girl. The woman's eyes scanned the room until they landed on Sophia.
"Sophia, is that really you?" the woman exclaimed.
Sophia turned to face her, a polite smile on her face. "Hello, Magda. How are you?"
Magda's eyes narrowed slightly as she took in Sophia's elegant appearance. "I'm doing well, thank you. But I have to ask, what are you doing here? I didn't know you had a little girl."
Sophia's smile never wavered. "I'm just shopping for a little girl. We recently adopted Kate."
Magda's expression turned condescending. "Since you were fired, I didn't think you'd be able to afford clothes like these. They're definitely out of your price range."
Sophia's eyes flashed with annoyance, but she kept her tone calm. "I wasn't fired, Magda. I resigned."
Magda cut her off, her voice dripping with malice. "No, you were fired. I heard it myself. You're just trying to save face."
Kai stepped forward, his eyes flashing with anger, but Sophia placed a calming hand on his arm.