Arthur spoke again, his voice steady. "Zac and John attacked me. Now that my men have restrained them, someone call the cops and let them handle it." Another wave of shock rippled through the crowd. Nobody here was blind. John and Zac were still sprawled on the ground, barely breathing. Just moments ago, people had wondered if the Gray family might call the police. But now, the one who had his men beat them to a pulp was the one reporting them? Susie couldn't take it anymore. Fear, anger, and disbelief crashed over her all at once. She started sobbing as she shouted, "Arthur! You did this to Zac and Dad, and you still have the audacity to call the cops? You’re the one attacking them, and now you’re acting like the victim?" Many in the crowd shared the same thought. If the police showed up, who would they even arrest? Arthur, however, remained unfazed. "Weren’t you all watching? Zac was the one who threw the first punch. I was just defending myself." He even pointed at John. "And he was in on it too. I just handled them together." The crowd stood in stunned silence. Susie felt rage boiling in her chest, so strong it nearly made her cough up blood. She sputtered, "You…you…you…" but couldn't form a single coherent sentence. The police arrived fast, just like always. In no time, officers were on the scene. "Who called this in?" The voice was familiar. The words were too. Arthur’s eyes brightened. "Mark?" Leading the officers was none other than Marcus—someone he hadn’t seen in two years. Marcus heard his name and turned, his face lighting up. "Arthur?" Back then, he and Arthur had clicked right away. Marcus had always looked out for him like an older brother. But with work keeping him busy, they hadn’t spoken much these past two years. A lot had changed. Marcus was now the police chief here, and the former head detective, James, had been transferred to the capital. Like an old friend, Marcus strode up to Arthur and gave him a firm pat on the shoulder. "Well, well, kid. You’ve shot up a bit."Arthur rubbed the back of his head, a little shy. "Yeah. It’s been a while." For some reason, whenever he was around Marcus, he always felt a sense of protection—like he had a big brother watching over him. Maybe it was because, back when things were rough, Marcus had been the one to help him out. Marcus laughed, his voice loud and clear. Then he asked, "What brings you here?" Every time he arrived at a scene and saw Arthur, he couldn't help but think—Yep, this has something to do with him. And sure enough, it was always Arthur making the call. The Gray family members stiffened when they saw how well Arthur knew the officer in charge. If this had been the old Arthur, they would’ve had ways to sway the police. But now, with the position he held… Arthur’s smile faded as he got to business. "I’m the one who called it in." "Oh?" Marcus arched a brow. Knew it. His officers had already secured the area. He took a slow look around before his eyes landed on the two figures lying on the ground. After a long moment, he recognized them—John and Zac. "What’s going on here?" The bystanders held their breath. No one dared to answer. Arthur spoke casually. "Zac tried to attack me. My men stopped him. He still wouldn’t give up, so we had no choice but to put him down. John was in on it too." He didn’t try to soften his words at all. He just said it outright—had no choice but to put him down. Marcus blinked in surprise, then let out an amused smile. His gaze swept over the bodyguards standing nearby. This kid... Two years later, and he’s leveled up. Got himself some real power now. At this point, no one outside the banquet hall had caught wind of what happened. The world still didn’t know that Arthur was actually the chairman of Cloudia Corporation. As they talked, the wail of sirens approached. Someone had called an ambulance, and it had arrived fast. John and Zac were carried onto stretchers and taken away. Arthur and Marcus left for the station to give their statements.Late at night, in the same small room. Ashley paced back and forth, her phone clutched in her hand as she anxiously waited for Arthur to reply. He had gone to the police station alone. She had wanted to go with him, but he wouldn’t let her. All she could do now was wait. She had no idea how things had turned out. Sure, Zac had attacked first, but Arthur was the one who left him in critical condition. Zac never even managed to touch him. Her mind was running wild when a sudden knock broke through the silence. "Ashley, I’m back." Arthur’s voice. Relief flooded her. She sprinted to the door, throwing it open in one swift motion. Before Arthur could even get a word out, she launched herself into his arms, her soft, delicate hands clutching him tightly.