John was just thinking about how to destroy Arthur and regain his dignity when, to his surprise, Arthur delivered himself right to his doorstep. Susie wasn’t about to back down either. "Arthur, is there something wrong with you? Don’t tell me everything that happened tonight was all orchestrated by you!" Hearing this, John’s expression brightened. He shot an approving glance at Susie before turning to Arthur and shouting angrily. "Arthur! It’s bad enough that you have something wrong with your own head, but now you’re trying to drag Zac down with you? We raised you all these years, do you have even a shred of conscience?" Raelynn, seeing a way to ease her own embarrassment, immediately jumped in. "Arthur, I’ve cared for you all these years, and this is how you repay me? You’ve really let me down." The people who had always tried to curry favor with the Gray family now saw this as their perfect opportunity to vent their frustrations. One after another, they raised their voices in righteous indignation, each trying to earn some favor with the Grays. "So that’s why Mr. Zac was acting so strange tonight! It turns out Arthur staged the whole thing himself!" "What a vicious scheme! He must have been unwilling to accept being cast out of the family. He’s been waiting for this day for two years, planning every step of this elaborate performance for us to see!" "He actually dared to impersonate the chairman of Cloudia Corporation—does he have a death wish?" "I just got word that Mr. Young from Cloudia Corporation is on his way here. Let’s see how Arthur explains himself when the truth is exposed!" "I’m actually looking forward to this. Arthur must be an idiot, he knew the chairman of Cloudia Corporation was coming tonight, and yet he still dared to pull this stunt at such a critical moment." "Exactly! Even if the chairman wasn’t coming, there’s still Mr. Young! He’s been rising to power these past two years, and trust me, he’s not someone you want to cross." "Mr. Young has nothing but the utmost respect for his company’s chairman. If he finds out someone was impersonating him, he’s going to go absolutely ballistic!" "Arthur is done for. He just walked right into his own trap."As the crowd’s accusations grew louder, John and Zac finally let out a deep breath. The humiliation of being detained earlier seemed to vanish into thin air. As long as they could destroy Arthur, anything was worth it. Standing beside Arthur, Ashley was utterly stunned. She stared at him in disbelief. This was the same young man who had cared for me so deeply over the past two years. He just said… he’s the chairman of Cloudia Corporation? How is that possible? Ashley didn’t believe it. It was simply too unbelievable. But at the same time, she knew Arthur wasn’t the type to lie. The realization hit her so hard that she barely registered the noise around her. It wasn’t until Natalie patted her shoulder that she snapped back to reality. Natalie, just as shocked, turned to Ashley. "Ashley, is Arthur telling the truth?" Ashley numbly shook her head and murmured, "I don’t know… but I do know Arthur never lies." Natalie was completely dumbfounded. She had been worried that Arthur had no power or status and that her parents might disapprove of him being with Ashley. But now, he is claiming to be the chairman of Cloudia Corporation? Cloudia Corporation was nothing like the other businesses in South City. They had never been content with just staying here. Two years ago, they had already begun expanding into Evergrand City and other surrounding provinces. Even her parents took Cloudia Corporation seriously! The fact that they had sent her and Ashley to this banquet in the first place was proof of just how much they valued the company. Their goal in coming here tonight was to finally meet the elusive, brilliant chairman of Cloudia Corporation. And now, they were being told that the very person they had been dying to meet had been right next to them all along? John struggled to suppress the smirk tugging at his lips. He barked at Arthur, "Arthur! Before the chairman of Cloudia Corporation arrives, you’d better apologize to Zac and everyone here! Beg them to forgive you!" Or else, your downfall is going to be even uglier. John didn’t say that last part out loud. Arthur might have been his son by blood, but after tonight’s humiliation, whatever little fatherly compassion he had left was completely erased. Zac was all he needed. Eighteen years ago, he had let Arthur live—that was already the greatest mercy he could offer. Arthur’s existence was nothing but a threat to Zac. Zac had suffered public disgrace twice now, both times because of Arthur!Zac’s face lit up with smug satisfaction. The more embarrassed he had been earlier, the more triumphant he felt now. If it weren’t for the setting, he would have laughed out loud right then and there. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he struck what he thought was his most dashing pose and waited for Arthur’s apology. He had already thought of the perfect way to mock and humiliate him when he did. Just as the crowd continued echoing John’s demands, a sudden commotion erupted at the entrance.