Chapter 146: Chapter 146: Ordering Him to Withdraw with a Father’s Authority

"Could you please explain the creative concept behind your paper-cutting design?"

The host couldn’t understand sign language.

But Joshua Lawson could.

However, Joshua didn’t make a sound. He didn’t want to answer Noelle Sutton in sign language.

He was nervous, worried that people would discover his relationship with Noelle.

His classmate Mingming’s mother was there. If she found out that Noelle was his real mother...

The problem he faced was no longer just that his mother was mute, but that he had lied to everyone.

The trouble with lying is that one lie requires countless others to cover it up.

Seeing Noelle use sign language, the host turned to Joshua in surprise. "Young Joshua Lawson, do you know Teacher Noelle Sutton? Look, Teacher Sutton is communicating with you in sign language! You can understand sign language? That’s amazing! Could you help translate for me what Teacher Sutton said to you?"

The host held the microphone out to Joshua, and everyone waited for his response.

Joshua was furious.

’Mom knew I was in the paper-cutting competition, yet she deliberately came to be the head judge. And if being the head judge wasn’t enough, she just had to go and deliberately ask me a question in sign language.’

So, Joshua simply told the host, "I don’t understand what the judge is trying to say."

Unaware of the situation, the host retracted the microphone and said to Noelle, "Teacher Sutton, I’m afraid we’ll have to trouble you to use your speaking device to ask the question. Young Joshua Lawson doesn’t understand sign language."

Just then, Wyatt Yates stood up and had just left his seat when Tristan Lawson also rose, walked over to Noelle Sutton’s side, and glared coldly at Joshua.

He then wrapped an arm around Noelle’s back, braced his hand on the table in front of her, and leaned down to the microphone to say in a low voice, "I can understand sign language. I’ll translate for Teacher Sutton."

Noelle was encircled in Tristan’s arms, and for a moment, the atmosphere turned strange.

Hugo Sterling raised an eyebrow.

Attorney Miller was even more confused about what Tristan was doing.

Standing on the stage, Joshua was about to break out in a cold sweat. ’What on earth is Dad trying to do?’

Tristan’s cold, stern voice boomed through the microphone, filling the entire venue.

"Joshua Lawson, Teacher Sutton is asking what the creative concept behind your paper-cutting design is."

Joshua’s artwork, "A Lamb Kneels to Nurse," had made Tristan furious.

He clearly knew the greatness of a mother’s love, yet he feigned ignorance of sign language in front of so many people.

Hugo Sterling was right.

When a child misbehaves, they need to be educated the moment the mistake is made.

Lately, Joshua had been a real disappointment to him.

Standing on the stage, Joshua suddenly burst into tears with a loud "WAAAH!"

The host hurried over to console him.

But Tristan’s deep voice cut in. "Don’t cry!"

Sophie Hughes stood up and rushed to Tristan’s side, her voice urgent. "Tristan, what are you doing? He’s just a child! Do you want to traumatize him in front of all these people?"

Tristan’s crimson lips were pressed into a tight line. At his reprimand, Joshua didn’t dare to cry anymore, but he still choked back sobs.

Seeing his son’s state, Tristan couldn’t help but feel a pang of heartache.

Joshua was Noelle’s treasure, but he was his treasure, too.

When Joshua was born and brought out of the delivery room, he had experienced the feeling of being a father for the first time. As tough as he was, his eyes had still grown moist.

After comforting Joshua, the host said very seriously, "Mr. Lawson, my apologies, but you are not a judge. Please refrain from disrupting our competition. I must ask you to return to your seat."

Sophie lowered her voice. "Tristan, if Joshua did something wrong or upset you, you can discipline him however you want when we get home. But with so many people here, this will seriously affect him psychologically."

At that moment, Tristan became even more aware of his own failings in raising his son.

Although Noelle was still encircled in his arms, she showed no reaction at all.

She wasn’t going to react anymore.

The father and son had different methods, but both had pierced her heart and left it bleeding.

She didn’t want to let the two of them affect her emotions any longer.

Although Tristan’s heart ached for Joshua, he also considered Noelle’s feelings. By publicly claiming not to know sign language, Joshua was disowning Noelle.

So, Tristan spoke again, his voice cold and heavy. "Having watched Joshua’s performance from start to finish, I do not believe he is qualified to win an award. In my capacity as his father, I order him to withdraw from the competition immediately!"

With that, Tristan straightened up, strode onto the stage, and fixed his cold eyes on Joshua. "We’re going home!"

Tristan turned, and Joshua obediently followed behind him.

Although the competition had been interrupted, children’s competitions were usually signed up for by their parents. Since his family was no longer letting him compete, there was nothing more the host could say.

The host knew how to handle such situations and quickly resolved the issue, moving on to the next part of the program.

As Tristan walked past Noelle, he glanced at her again.

Just now, she had used some kind of voice software. He’d thought she was willing to use the necklace, and his mood had slightly improved.

But he hadn’t expected that she wasn’t using the ring; instead, there was a necklace around her neck.

The collar of her dress wasn’t low, so it covered the necklace’s pendant, but Tristan had seen the sound-emitting necklace Wyatt Yates gave her, which was enough for him to determine that the device she was using today was that very necklace.

At that moment, Tristan also saw that Wyatt was in the audience.

When the two men’s eyes met, sparks seemed to fly.

Tristan walked out of the venue and got into his car.

Sophie Hughes sat in the back seat, holding Joshua and constantly comforting him.

Tristan sat silently in the driver’s seat, showing no intention of starting the car.

The competition was nearing its end, with only the judging and awards ceremony left. It wouldn’t be long before Noelle came out.

He was going to wait for her.

He would take her home and let her know that he would discipline Joshua properly.

Sophie looked up, saw Tristan’s handsome, inscrutable face in the rearview mirror, and asked tentatively, feeling uneasy, "Tristan, aren’t we leaving?"

"Waiting for Noelle."

Sophie fell silent and went back to wiping Joshua’s tears, saying tenderly, "It’s okay, Joshua. I saw your work. It was the best one. You were more creative than all of them, and your cutting was better. There will be other competitions like this. We can enter another one in the future. You’re so talented, it’s only a matter of time before you win an award."

For Joshua, it was no longer about winning an award. It was about his father publicly scolding him because of his mother. He felt like he had lost all his dignity.

’If Mom hadn’t come today, none of this would have happened.’

’Mom wasn’t like this before. She used to always think of me, no matter what. How did she become like this?’

The more Joshua thought about it, the sadder he became, and his tears flowed even faster.

Before long, the competition ended, and families began to stream out with their children.

Noelle Sutton had been held back by Old Master Shaw to discuss paper-cutting with a few of the other judges.

Seeing that Tristan’s car hadn’t left, Hugo Sterling stood by the entrance, waiting to watch the show.

About ten minutes later, Noelle and Wyatt Yates emerged from the venue together.

Tristan got out of the car at once.