The insults came from every direction. The parents who had smashed the car, who had torn priceless canvases to shreds minutes ago, now turned their mouths into weapons. They hurled words like stones, each one aimed at the same bruise. And the bystanders leaned in, feeding on the spectacle, their laughter a low, ugly chorus.
The more they cursed at me, the wider Luna smiled.
The teacher seized the moment. She stepped closer to Luna, her voice dropping to the practiced register of a woman who understood exactly which ring to kiss.
"Mrs. Ferraro, the principal asked me to mention something. If this situation is resolved to your satisfaction, he was hoping you might do us a favor." She clasped her hands in front of her. "You know we've been planning to expand the academy. The land surrounding the campus, all of it falls under Valente Syndicate holdings. If you could put in a word with your husband..."
She let the sentence trail off like an offering laid at an altar.
Luna crossed her arms. Her chin lifted. The arrogance wasn't performed anymore. It had settled into her bones.
"Don't worry," she said. "I'm very pleased with how you handled things today. When the time comes, I'll say the word, and my husband will give you all the land you need."
The teacher's smile stretched so wide it nearly split her face. "Thank you in advance, Mrs. Ferraro."
And then the floodgates opened.
"Luna, my husband has done business with the Valente operations before. Could you keep us in mind for future arrangements?"
"My company is looking to shift industries. I would love the chance to work with the Syndicate's legitimate businesses."
"Luna, please. Here's a no-limit card from my family's shopping district. I hope we can stay close."
They swarmed her. One after another, the parents scrambled to curry favor, each trying harder than the last. Some pressed envelopes into her hands. Others slipped bank cards directly into her bag when they thought no one was looking, the way men slip cash to a capo's wife at a Sunday dinner, hoping for a seat at the table.
Luna reveled in it. She absorbed the attention the way dry earth drinks rain, and every offering made her stand a little straighter, her voice a little louder, her gestures a little more expansive. She was a woman playing queen in a kingdom that had never been hers.