Arthur had focused all his energy on checking the surveillance footage, only to waste an entire night in vain. If it weren’t for David’s help, he would have completely missed this opportunity! After going through this ordeal, both Arthur and Ashley had learned an important lesson. Sometimes, being too honest wasn’t always a good thing. David chuckled. "I’ve just lived a few decades longer than you two, so I’ve got a bit more experience." Arthur and Ashley suddenly stood up and gave David a deep bow. "Arthur/Ashley, thank you for your help, David!" Even though this incident hadn’t caused them any real damage, and Spencer and Nancy had chosen to trust them unconditionally, the rumors circulating online weren’t kind to Ashley. If things continued like this, Ashley’s situation would only grow more awkward. David was startled when they bowed so deeply. He nearly spilled his tea in a panic, quickly setting the cup down before rushing forward to help them up. "Oh, come on now, don’t do this to me!" As they straightened up, a hint of sorrow crossed David’s face. With a sigh, he admitted, "Arthur, I failed to raise my son properly. He was involved in bullying you, and that’s on me. A father is responsible for his child’s mistakes. This has been weighing on my heart—not because you’re the chairman of Cloudia Corporation, but because I failed as a parent and allowed him to harm others. No matter who the victim was, we were in the wrong. Now that I have a chance to make up for it, I want to do what I can." Ever since his family had become wealthy, David had been fully occupied with starting and managing his business. He had barely spent any time raising his son. Richie’s mother had passed away when he was still a child, so he had been raised by nannies. It wasn’t until David found out about Richie’s bullying that he realized how much he had neglected his son’s education. For the past two years, David had been making amends to all the people Richie had bullied—whether through financial compensation or other forms of support. Arthur was the only exception. Arthur didn’t seem to lack anything, so David had never figured out a way to make things right—until now.Arthur looked at him in surprise. He had been wondering why David, who barely had any interactions with him, had gone out of his way to help him so eagerly. So this was why. Arthur still remembered—two years ago, right after he had acquired Cloudia Corporation, he had been on his way back to school when he saw Richie trying to bully Ashley. Arthur had stepped in and injured Richie in the process. Richie had run back to David, demanding justice from the Gray family. John had called Arthur home for a scolding, but when David learned that Richie had not only tried to bully a girl but had also previously harassed Arthur, he had been furious. That day, David had given Richie a harsh reprimand and had even told Arthur that if he ever needed help in the future, he only had to ask. At the time, Arthur had dismissed it as polite words and hadn’t taken them seriously. But David had meant every word. He had remembered that promise for two whole years. Arthur sighed. Richie sure has a good father. Finally, Arthur let go of the past. "Let’s not dwell on it. That’s all in the past. But still, David, I really appreciate your help this time." Although Richie had participated in the bullying, he hadn’t inflicted any real harm on Arthur. Most of the time, Richie had just stood by and watched. Occasionally, he had shoved Arthur, but nothing worse. That day, Arthur had broken Richie’s arm—it was fair payback. Hearing Arthur’s words, David exhaled in relief. He had grown up poor. Before he became rich, he had been bullied himself. Back then, he had hated those bullies with everything he had. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that after becoming wealthy, his own son would turn into the kind of person he despised the most. Whether someone was the perpetrator or a bystander, bullying was never acceptable. When David had first found out about Richie’s behavior, he had been absolutely furious. He had strung Richie up and beaten him. Then, he had starved him for three full days. For three days, Richie hadn’t had a single drop of water.David had stood outside his room the entire time, listening to his son’s weakening cries. As a father who had always loved his son, hearing those cries had torn him apart. It felt like his heart was bleeding. But Richie had already been sixteen years old at the time. If David didn’t correct him then, if he allowed him to grow up with such a twisted sense of right and wrong, it would have been too late to fix it later. Fortunately, after that incident, Richie had truly repented. David frequently received feedback from his teachers, who praised Richie for his kindness and improved behavior. Even his grades had gone up. After David left, Arthur immediately took the forensic report to the police station. At the same time, Tia was also handed over to the authorities for further investigation.