Screams and cries of pain echoed from the crowd, but Xavier’s former followers stood frozen, trembling. None of them dared to step forward and help. Even when some of them got caught in the chaos and took a few punches themselves, they didn’t dare fight back. Arthur’s homeroom teacher, Ruby, approached Jacob with a worried expression. “Mr. Lane, shouldn’t we step in?” Jacob barely spared a glance at the chaos, waving it off with a casual tone. “Step in for what? Look at how enthusiastic the students are. They’re having a great time.” Ruby glanced at the chaotic crowd, her worry deepening. They were all young, hot-tempered, and easily impulsive. With so many people involved, if things got out of hand, how would they explain this to the administration? Sensing her unease, Jacob patted her shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry, they know what they're doing." After a brief pause, he added with a knowing smile, “Let the wicked deal with their own kind. We don’t need to interfere. If anyone complains, I’ll handle it.” Ruby pressed her lips together, but in the end, she said nothing more. It felt like an eternity before Jacob finally spoke again. "Alright, alright, everyone. Time to get back to the celebration." The students immediately backed off, dispersing as if nothing had happened. Xavier and Zac were left behind, bruised, battered, and barely conscious. As for the butler who had pushed Zac in? He had vanished without a trace. For the first time, Zac and Xavier experienced what it felt like to be bullied. The crowd dispersed, their swollen, bloodshot eyes finally catching a long-lost glimpse of light. The stadium lights shone overhead, but to them, it felt like the most beautiful sight in the world. As the students walked away, they casually adjusted their clothes as if nothing had happened; a sudden voice pierced the air. “Arthur’s here!” “Arthur and Ashley just arrived!”Instantly, the atmosphere exploded with excitement. Excitement rippled through the crowd as students rushed toward the school gate, eager to welcome them. The sheer enthusiasm in their voices, the overwhelming warmth and admiration— A complete contrast to the way they had treated Zac just moments ago. The difference was crushing. Watching the crowd eagerly swarm around Arthur and Ashley, Zac felt a surge of fury rise within him. In that instant, his anger shattered the last remnants of his self-control. He let out a wild, guttural scream. “Aaaah—!” But no one paid him any attention. His voice was swallowed by the crowd. Xavier, standing beside Zac, jolted in shock at the sudden outburst. Without hesitation, Xavier forced himself to stay upright and swung his fist with all his remaining strength, landing a brutal punch across Zac’s face. "You son of a bitch! You ruined me!" Xavier roared, his voice hoarse with fury. Zac, already crippled with broken limbs, had no way to fight back. That single punch drained the last ounce of Xavier’s strength, and both of them collapsed onto the ground. At that moment, a faint figure emerged in Zac’s hazy vision. Dressed in white, she walked toward him with slow, deliberate steps. Tia! Blood dripped from the corner of Zac’s mouth, but he still forced himself to glare at Tia, his eyes burning with rage. He wanted to speak, to demand where she had been this whole time. Tia was the campus beauty, a girl. If she had stepped forward, if she had shielded him, those people wouldn’t have dared lay a hand on her. If she had just spoken up, maybe things wouldn’t have ended like this. But the moment he opened his mouth, a fresh gush of blood poured out, choking off his words. Tia slowly approached, her gaze cold and filled with unmistakable hatred.She looked nothing like the gentle girl he once knew. Then, without warning, she smiled. A slow, eerie curve of her lips that sent a chill crawling down his spine. When she finally spoke, her voice cut through the air like a blade—cold, sharp, and merciless. "Zac, how does it feel to be beaten like this?" Zac froze. He stared at her in disbelief—she had the same face, the same features, but in this moment, she was a complete stranger. Tia silently rolled up her sleeve, revealing the grotesque scars on her arm. "When you hit me, it hurt just as much." There was no emotion in her tone, as if she were simply stating a fact that had nothing to do with her. Yet to Zac, that voice was more terrifying than anything he had ever heard. A voice that made his blood run cold. His anger was instantly replaced by panic. Desperately, he tried to drag his broken body backward, stammering, "H-Tia… Calm down. You… you still need me!" Tia’s cold smile never wavered. She looked down at him, utterly unmoved. "Calm down? Did you ever calm down when you hit me? Did you ever show mercy?" "No, Tia! You’re supposed to marry me! Arthur publicly broke off the engagement—no one else will want you! You have no choice but to be with me! You need me!" Tia let out a soft, humorless laugh. Then, tilting her head slightly, she met his desperate gaze with a smile sharp enough to cut. "Oh? That’s funny," she said, voice laced with mockery. "Because from what I heard, Arthur has already acquired every single share of Gray Corporation—except for the ones still in your hands and John's. And at the rate things are going, I doubt you'll be holding on to them much longer."