Alex felt strange. This street boy saw his worst moment and didn’t laugh or ask for money. He just asked one question: “Are you a good person, mister?”
Alex was quiet. “I don’t know anymore.”
“Then maybe now is your chance to find out,” Ethan said.
That moment changed Alex forever. A kid with nothing risked everything for a stranger. Alex had more money than he could spend, but no real purpose. Ethan had nothing, but real courage.
But danger wasn’t over.
Vince saw someone pulled Alex out. He hated loose ends. Soon he called Alex: “I saw the kid. Pay double – ten million – or the boy disappears.”
Alex’s blood went cold. He couldn’t let that happen.
The next day Alex found Ethan at the market. “Get in the car. We need to talk.”
He told Ethan the truth (mostly). “Those men know you saw them. They’ll hurt you.”
Ethan didn’t run. “What do we do?”
Alex wanted to hide the boy. Ethan said no. “Running won’t stop them. On the street we know: if someone bullies you, paying makes them want more.”
Alex was shocked. This 12-year-old understood bullies better than his business school teachers.