"You monsters!" Arthur spat, rage boiling in his chest. His glare locked onto Finley. "This is between us! I’m the one who ruined your plans, not Taylor! He has nothing to do with this, so leave him out of it!" Finley smirked, his eyes flashing with amusement. "Oh?" His voice dripped with mockery. "That useless idiot has been disrespecting me since the day he stepped into Governance University. And now, he dares to talk back to me?" His expression twisted, pure venom in his tone. "He actually thinks that just because he became Hugo’s student, he ranks higher than me?" Finley let out a cold laugh, his gaze filled with disgust. "Heh. Does he even know who he is? Some broke nobody from a commoner’s family, and he thinks he can talk down to me? Acting like he’s my equal? He’s got some nerve." Taylor was still half-conscious when someone shoved him toward Arthur. He hit the ground hard, the impact snapping him awake. Before he could process what was happening, he instinctively curled up, shielding his head with his arms, his voice shaky and panicked. "No! Stop! Please! Don’t hit me anymore!" Arthur’s chest tightened as pure fury roared through him. These monsters! Taylor is just a kid! He’s never experienced something like this! Arthur immediately called out, "Taylor! Taylor, look at me!" At the sound of his voice, Taylor jerked his head up. His dazed, unfocused eyes slowly began to clear. The moment he recognized Arthur, his body trembled, and tears spilled down his face. "A-Arthur… Arthur…" Taylor instinctively reached for him, desperate for reassurance, but then— His gaze landed on the ropes binding Arthur. His body stiffened. "Arthur… y-you’re tied up too? They got you too?"Taylor wasn’t restrained, but his face was swollen with bruises, and his body was littered with injuries. He had woken up when they first brought him here. He fought back. Hard. But Finley had beaten him into submission—knocking him out cold for the second time. No one knew where Taylor suddenly got the strength, but the moment he saw Arthur beaten and tied to a chair, something inside him snapped. He rushed forward, spreading his arms wide and positioning himself in front of Arthur like a human shield. His voice shook with anger as he glared at Finley. "Finley! If you want to hurt someone, take me! Let Arthur go!" They were surrounded. The men in black encircling them were massive, their muscular frames tense with discipline. It was clear they were professionals. Taylor’s legs trembled. He was terrified. But despite that, he stood his ground. Arthur watched Taylor throw himself in harm’s way without a second thought. He was touched—but also slightly amused. Unlike Arthur, Taylor hadn’t grown up fighting. He hadn’t trained in martial arts. These injuries weren’t a big deal to Arthur. He’d had worse. But Taylor was different. He hadn’t come from a wealthy family, but he had been raised with love and care. His parents had sheltered him. Aside from studying, he had never truly suffered. Arthur could see the fear in him. Yet even with that fear consuming him, he still chose to stand in front of Arthur. Finley smirked at the sight and scoffed. "Taylor, have you seen your legs? You’re shaking so hard it’s embarrassing. And you think you can protect someone?" His tone was dripping with ridicule—but beneath it, there was something else. Jealousy. Taylor’s devotion to Arthur was ridiculous in Finley’s eyes. Completely pointless.But deep down, he knew—he had never had someone who would stand up for him like that. In his world, loyalty was nothing more than a weakness. It was all about power plays, manipulation, and control. The moment he cared about anyone, it would be his downfall. Arthur’s voice cut through the tension. "Taylor, get back here! This isn’t the time for this!" He knew exactly how unstable Finley could be. And if Taylor kept pushing, he might end up taking another beating. But Taylor wasn’t listening. Without hesitation, he said firmly, "Arthur, we’re as close as family! I won’t let them lay a hand on you!" As close as family. For both Finley and Arthur, those words felt almost unreal. Finley’s expression darkened. It was as if the phrase itself had struck a nerve deep inside him. His emotions erupted into something wild, unhinged. He let out another one of his deranged laughs. "Oh? Family? You two really think you’ve got something special, huh?" His eyes glinted with something cruel. "Then let’s put it to the test. Let’s see how deep this so-called bond of yours really runs—when you’ve only known each other for two months." With that, Finley snapped his fingers, giving his men a sharp signal. They understood immediately. In an instant, several of them lunged at Taylor, fists swinging. Arthur’s instincts screamed. No time to think—move! Just as the first punch was about to land, Arthur exploded into motion. With the chair still strapped to his back, he used it as a weapon, slamming himself into the attackers with all his strength.