With that single sentence, Jenarth had redirected everyone's attention back to Robert's alleged violence. The coldness in Robert's eyes and his aggressive stance certainly made it look like he was about to strike. Jenarth's terrified expression stirred a wave of pity among the onlookers. Robert glanced at him, deliberately changing his tone as he laughed coldly. "See? This kid's a natural performer—so good at playing the victim! What a waste of talent..." When Jenarth met Robert's gaze, a chill ran down his spine. He tried to pull his hand back, but Robert's grip was like a vise—there was no breaking free. "Let me go!" "You're just a kid, but you're already pulling this kind of garbage. Buying people off on your first day, setting others up on purpose. What kind of monster will you become when you grow up?" Robert suddenly raised his voice. "Didn't you claim I hit you? Well, I'm not even going to bother denying it. Didn't your mother ever teach you that if you do wrong, you get punished?" Staring back at Robert, Jenarth sensed genuine danger. He wanted to fight back, but he was no match for Robert's strength—he couldn't move an inch. He wanted to run, but there was no escape. "Since you're so determined to accuse me, I might as well give you something real to cry about." The next instant, Robert's palm connected sharply with Jenarth's face. The loud slap echoed through the space. Jenarth spun from the force and crashed to the floor. He couldn't believe he'd actually been hit. Lying there in utter humiliation, he reached up to touch his cheek—it was already swollen, marked with five clear finger stripes. After a few seconds of stunned silence, Jenarth burst into loud, panicked sobs."Jenarth!" Jennifer stood frozen, shocked that Robert had actually dared to hit her son—right in front of teachers, classmates, and Arthur. That bastard Robert—how could he have the nerve? "My poor Jenarth!" Jennifer scooped him up, sobbing dramatically. Robert watched the scene unfold, a look of pure contempt in his eyes. His gaze then shifted to Arthur, who still stood there in stunned disbelief. "Mr. Myers, you see now? This is the 'precious son' you've been protecting." Having said his piece, Robert turned a mocking glare toward the other parents. "Where's all that big talk from earlier? What happened to it? Who just said they'd get on their knees and apologize?" His words sent a wave of panic through the crowd. But Robert wasn't about to let them off that easily. He crossed his arms, radiating arrogance. "I've got all the time in the world. You can kneel down one by one—I'll wait right here." The parents exchanged awkward glances, their faces burning with shame. "Robert, that's enough! Are you trying to make this situation even worse?" Arthur finally found his voice. "You just hit Jenarth! You're his older brother—how could you lay a hand on him?" "Hold it right there! Let's get one thing straight. My mother only has one child—me. I don't have any little brother." Robert's expression turned deadly serious. "Mr. Myers, didn't you promise in front of everyone that if I proved I didn't hurt Jenarth, you would kneel and apologize?" Arthur fell silent. "What's the matter? Getting cold feet now?" Robert sneered. "So it's perfectly fine for adults to gang up on a child? Make promises you have no intention of keeping? How shameless!" Arthur was left lost for words."And what about the rest of you? Who's going first? Adults are supposed to set an example for children. I'm not unreasonable—you can all kneel together." The parents squirmed uncomfortably. If they could have, they would have bolted from this place right then. "Robert, now that everything's cleared up, we understand you were wronged. We apologize." Drew's mom pulled her son forward, speaking with sincerity. "But asking us to kneel is going too far. People say things they don't mean when they're angry, but we truly are sorry." Robert stared at her, his face impassive, then turned to Chloe with a bright smile. "Mommy, when they were ganging up on us earlier, they didn't care that I was just a kid! They were trying to force me to my knees, telling me to get out of Eaton!" Chloe's gaze swept over the crowd before settling on Tracy. "Mrs. Carter, you heard what Robert said. Everyone was so quick to accuse us earlier. As the principal, you didn't even bother to find out the truth—you just wanted to expel Robert. So, are you still planning to kick us out now?""Ms. Lewis, you must be joking. I was just..." Tracy forced an awkward smile, hoping to placate Chloe, but Chloe wasn't having any of it. "You're the principal, so you should lead by example—kneel down and apologize to Robert first!" Chloe's voice was icy. "As I recall, Eaton Kindergarten has very strict rules. If you make a mistake, you face the consequences, no matter who you are. So if the principal makes a mistake, she should be punished too, shouldn't she?"