113 Flashback

Gordon wiped his brow, the steam from the pots blurring his vision. The clatter of plates filled the small kitchen of St. Jude's Orphanage, a rhythmic echo of lives lived in shadows. He had just finished scrubbing a particularly stubborn pan when the sharp whistle pierced the air, cutting through the dull mood of the evening routine. Instinctively, he froze, the scrub brush still in his hand, unsure what was happening.

“Come on, Gordon! We need to hurry!” shouted his roommate, Ethan, bursting through the door with a wild look in his eyes.

“What....What’s going on?” Gordon asked, his heart pounding as he dropped the brush and followed Ethan into the hallway. The other boys were already racing past them down the hallway , they were laughter and shouts a mixture of excitement and anxiety which left Gordon more perplexed .

“It’s a billionaire!” Ethan exclaimed, his voice barely above a whisper, yet it crackled with energy. “He’s coming to adopt a kid from the orphanage. They say he’s go