With her looks and presence, if she had been the one wearing Mr. Ivan’s designs, she would have looked far better than Ashley. As Tia’s mind drifted further, she suddenly sensed something. A presence. Fast. Aggressive. She instinctively turned her head— And locked eyes with Zac’s dark, menacing glare. A shiver shot down her spine. Fear gripped her instantly. Zac’s voice was low, meant only for the two of them. "What were you just looking at?" Tia clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palm. The pain was the only thing keeping her from screaming. She forced herself to stay calm, steadying her voice as much as possible. "I wasn’t looking at anything." Zac didn’t believe her for a second. He gave her a long, hard look before spitting out a chilling warning. "I’ll deal with you later tonight." Tia’s heart plummeted. Her entire body turned ice cold. The temperature in the hall was comfortable, but she felt like she was trapped in a freezing cage. She didn’t dare imagine what tonight would bring. Meanwhile, the crowd was still busy tearing Zac apart. Then suddenly— Zac raised his voice, loud and commanding. "Don’t let him fool you!"The room fell silent. All eyes turned toward him. Zac straightened up and scanned the crowd before speaking again. "Technology today is so advanced. Using AI to mimic someone’s voice is easy. What proof does Arthur have that the person on the phone was really Mr. Ivan?" He took a step forward, speaking with conviction. "This whole thing was a setup! He arranged this in advance! He used AI to fake Ivan’s voice, put on a cheap knockoff with a stolen design, and played this whole act just to deceive us! His clothes are fake! We’ve all been manipulated!" The weight of his words dropped like a bombshell. The crowd erupted. "Wait… could this really be fake?" "Is Arthur really that shameless?" "Who’s actually telling the truth?" "I mean… when you think about it, it is pretty suspicious. Arthur being close friends with the legendary Mr. Ivan? And not just that—having multiple custom pieces? That sounds impossible." "Yeah… I was so caught up in the moment, but looking back, something doesn’t add up." "If he really knew Mr. Ivan, why was he living like a broke loser all these years?" "But what if Zac’s just making things up again? He has lied before." "That’s true… and wasn’t it Zac who picked this fight in the first place? Arthur wasn’t even paying attention to him before." "Still… Arthur knowing Mr. Ivan? That’s a hard pill to swallow." "I don’t think it’s possible. Not only does he have multiple Ivan designs, but so does Ashley? And they wear them like casual clothes? That’s just ridiculous." "Right? Mr. Ivan is notoriously difficult. There’s no way he would lower himself to making everyday wear for some random people." "If Arthur had somehow gotten one piece, I might have believed it. But an entire collection? No way.""As much as I hate to agree with Zac… Arthur might be lying." "Yeah… something about this just doesn’t feel real." Zac let out a quiet breath of relief. It didn’t matter if Arthur was telling the truth. What mattered was making everyone believe it was a lie. He was the son of the Gray family—he would not let himself be humiliated because of Arthur. Two years ago, during that disastrous birthday party, he had already suffered enough embarrassment. Back then, he could brush it off as a childish mistake. But now, he was an adult. If this became another stain on his reputation, he would never live it down. He refused to be a joke. Just as he was basking in his small victory— A crisp, clear voice rang through the hall. "Who said Arthur’s clothes are fake?" The voice cut through the murmurs like a sharp blade. Everyone turned to see— Ms. Ruby. Their strict, no-nonsense homeroom teacher had arrived. Zac’s smugness immediately faltered. But then—he scoffed. What’s a teacher like her doing here? She was just a teacher. She had no place in their world. Ruby ignored Zac completely.She walked straight toward Arthur and lifted the sleeve of his jacket, examining it with a trained eye. "I have seen Mr. Ivan’s work before," she stated firmly. "His signature embroidery—this mugwort design—is impossible to replicate. His technique is uniquely his own. No matter how hard someone tries, they cannot copy it. It is not something that can be faked." Her words were like a hammer, slamming down the final verdict. Silence fell over the hall. Everyone knew Ms. Ruby’s reputation. She was strict, fair, and completely uninterested in their social games. For her to personally step in and vouch for Arthur— It meant everything.