The crowd’s voices rose in excitement. "Yeah, are you dumb? Do you actually believe that could be real?" Nearly everyone in the room was convinced—Arthur’s suit had to be fake. There was no way it could be real. After all, this was Mr. Ivan they were talking about. Even Zac had never owned one of his designs, so how could Arthur possibly have one? Hearing everyone’s words, Zac suddenly felt a wave of frustration. That’s right! A broke reject like Arthur could never afford a real Ivan design. I must have lost my mind to even consider the possibility! Arthur had no power or status. Ashley didn’t even make her own money yet, so there was no way she could have hired Mr. Ivan to design anything for him. Zac let out a breath, and beside him, Tia also sighed in relief. Mr. Ivan was famous—she had heard of him before. But that was all. He was someone she would never have the chance to meet. This idiot actually had the nerve to copy Mr. Ivan’s signature work? He’s really digging his own grave. Regaining his composure, Zac put on a falsely concerned expression. "Arthur, I’m telling you this for your own good. You should take that off before Mr. Ivan finds out. He’s not someone you want to mess with." "That’s right," Tia chimed in, her voice gentle and kind, as if she were sincerely trying to help. "I understand that the graduation ceremony is important to you, but risking everything just for the sake of appearances? That’s not worth it. We all know the truth." She smiled sweetly, like a saint offering guidance. The crowd grew even more confident in their assumptions. Even Zac and Tia had said so—there was no way Arthur’s suit was real. If they had any doubts before, they were completely gone now. Wearing knockoffs was one thing, but faking something as exclusive as an Ivan original? That was outright laughable.Xavier sneered. "Exactly. Arthur, come on, just tell us—where’d you get it? We won’t laugh. Much." His lackeys burst into laughter. "Yeah, we just want to know where to get one ourselves! Gotta keep up with the latest fakes, right?" "Ashley’s really lowering her standards, defending someone like this." "Who knows what kind of lies he’s fed her? She’s a total knockout, but she’s humiliating herself standing up for him." "You think we’re blind? We know a fake when we see one!" The voices grew louder, each more vicious than the last. Zac and Tia could barely contain their delight. Let Arthur act all high and mighty when he walked in—what good did it do him now? A reject would always be a reject. Just as Zac was enjoying the moment, Arthur suddenly stood up. Standing face-to-face, Zac realized something—Arthur towered over him. He instinctively tilted his head back, looking up like a clueless sidekick waiting for orders from his boss. Somehow, after two years, Zac had barely grown. Compared to most of his peers, he was still on the shorter side. Arthur, on the other hand, had shot up even more. Now, he was a full head taller than Zac. Arthur smirked. "Two years have passed, and you haven’t changed a bit—still acting like a fake sweetheart, huh? You’re so short I could toss you out of here with one hand, and honestly, arguing with you feels beneath me. But damn, you’re like an annoying fly—just buzzing and buzzing nonstop. If I don’t say anything, are you just gonna keep hovering around me? You can’t function without me or what? Or do you have some special obsession? I’ve already cut ties with the Gray family, but you’re still clinging to me like your life depends on it. I’m starting to wonder… you sure you’re not secretly into me?" The entire room went silent. Everyone stared, wide-eyed, stunned into speechlessness. Tension crackled in the air.Arthur had just said something absolutely insane. A second later, whispers spread like wildfire. "Did he just…?" "Did Arthur just call Zac short?" "And did he just imply that Zac’s obsessed with him?" "Wait, wait, wait—did Arthur basically just say Zac has a crush on him?" Someone barely held back laughter. "Holy crap. This is gold." Zac’s entire body stiffened. His face turned green, then red, then an unnatural shade of white. "You… you—!" Zac’s hand trembled as he pointed at Arthur, his voice cracking with rage. His blood was boiling. Arthur said I was into him?! That the only reason I was always around was because I had a crush on him?! And worst of all— He called me short. He called me short! If there was one thing Zac hated the most, it was people calling him short. Yes, he hadn’t grown much in the past two years. But compared to plenty of guys, he wasn’t that short. And now, Arthur had called him out in front of everyone. It was pure humiliation. His whole body trembled with rage. And Arthur still wasn’t finished. He pointed at his suit. "And you’re saying my suit is fake? A knockoff?" Zac, despite being utterly furious, saw his chance. This was his way out. His face twisted with righteous anger. "That’s right! You actually dared to copy Mr. Ivan’s work! Mr. Ivan is my friend. You’d better be ready to get sued for everything you’ve got!" His voice rang through the venue, loud and confident.Hearing his words, the entire room erupted in shock. "Mr. Ivan is Zac’s friend?!" "The Gray family is that powerful?" "If Zac’s close to Mr. Ivan, then there’s no way Arthur’s suit is real!" "Wait… if Mr. Ivan is his friend, then why didn’t Zac just tell him earlier?" "Maybe he just wanted to wait for the right moment? He’s Mr. Zac of the Gray family, after all—having high-status connections isn’t exactly surprising." "Are you guys really buying this? Zac’s always been full of crap. I don’t believe a word of it." The moment Zac had said those words, all eyes were on him. Some were full of admiration. Some were full of doubt. And some—like Arthur—were full of amusement. Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Mr. Ivan is your friend?" Zac’s confidence wavered for just a second. But he had already said it. And there was no turning back now.