Arthur had already studied all of this in his past life—now, he was simply filling in the gaps he had missed before. Julie had no choice but to leave. Back at the Gray residence, the moment she stepped inside, she was greeted by the sight of Zac crying in front of the family. His eyes were red, his head slightly bowed in an apologetic posture. "I’m sorry, Dad, Mom, Rosie, Susie… It’s all my fault. I was just so scared of losing you all that I misspoke at school. I didn’t mean it—I really didn’t mean it." John’s face was cold as he avoided looking at Zac’s pitiful expression. "Zac, I understand that you have insecurities, but Arthur is my son. That fact will never change. You can’t just team up with outsiders to bully him at school. Where does that leave the Gray family’s dignity?" Hearing the reprimand in his tone, the family instinctively wanted to step in and defend Zac. But then they remembered today’s livestream. Remembered the look on Zac’s face when he had sneered, calling Arthur a pathetic gold-digger. The room fell into silence. Julie stood in the corner, her expression cold. Arthur’s scars were still vivid in her mind. She didn’t step forward to accuse Zac just yet. She wanted to see how far he would go. Zac clenched his fists in secret. Arthur! Dad actually scolded me because of that bastard? It’s all his fault! Suppressing his anger, Zac let his tears fall. With a sudden thud, he dropped to his knees. "Dad, I was wrong! It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have been so afraid of losing you, I shouldn’t have been so insecure! I—I’ll just leave. You should bring Arthur back. As long as I’m gone, he’ll come home!" With that, Zac stood up and turned to leave. But after just a few steps, he suddenly clutched his chest, his body curling in pain. Panic swept through the room. Julie’s fists clenched at her sides. She almost stepped forward to help—but then she thought of Arthur’s scars. She forced herself to stay still. But the rest of the Gray family wasn’t as composed. John’s reprimand was immediately forgotten as he rushed forward, catching Zac before he collapsed. "Zac—Zac!" John’s voice was full of panic. The entire family swarmed around him. "Zac, don’t scare us like that! No one is asking you to leave," Raelynn choked out, her eyes welling with tears. "That’s right, Zac. Don’t worry about it! Arthur was the one who provoked you first—he made you say the wrong things. We don’t blame you at all," Susie said anxiously, patting Zac’s back to soothe him. The family wavered for a moment, but no one outright denied Susie’s words. John barked out, "Where’s the driver? Hurry, take Zac to the hospital!" But Zac quickly grabbed John’s hand, shaking his head weakly. "No, Dad, I don’t want to go to the hospital." "Zac, be good. You’re sick—you need to go to the hospital so you can get better," John coaxed, his voice gentle, all his earlier sternness gone. Zac looked up at him, eyes full of watery innocence. "No, Dad, please. I don’t want to go to the hospital. It’s so cold and lonely there. I’ll be fine if I just sleep it off. Really, please believe me." Tomorrow was his birthday banquet. There was no way he could go to the hospital now. What if those useless doctors tried to keep him overnight? Raelynn, already soft-hearted, couldn’t bear it any longer. She pulled Zac into her arms, her voice filled with warmth Arthur had never even dreamed of receiving."Zac, don’t be scared. We’re all here for you." Buried in Raelynn’s embrace, Zac’s lips curled into a faint smile. Everyone in the Gray family bowed before him, completely blind to the smirk playing on his lips. But from her angle, Julie saw it clearly. She sucked in a sharp breath, her hand flying to her mouth to keep from gasping aloud. That expression—smug, calculated, evil—it wasn’t the look of someone in pain. He was faking it. A second later, Zac lifted his head, his face a perfect picture of vulnerability once more. "Dad, Mom, I feel much better now. My chest just hurt for a moment, but I’m fine. I really don’t need to go to the hospital."