"What? The real son of the Gray family? Isn’t Zac the real heir?" "You’re behind on the news. Didn’t you see yesterday’s video from the school?" "No, I was too busy. What video?" "I always thought Zac was the only son of the Gray family. Who would’ve guessed he was adopted?" "What?" "See that boy sitting in the corner? That’s Arthur, the real son of the Gray family." "You’ve got to be kidding!" "I thought so too. I swear I remember the Gray family’s son wasn’t named Zac back then." "Strange, though. Why is their actual son sitting in a corner like that?" "Yeah, I’ve never seen him at one of these banquets before." The murmurs were quiet but numerous, filling the hall with an undeniable buzz. Zac clenched his fists. He knew it. People loved their gossip. He had to act fast. He couldn’t let them tarnish his name at his own birthday banquet. Sensing the situation spiraling, the Gray family quickly moved to Zac’s side. Raelynn patted his hand, her voice soothing. "Zac, ignore them. Tonight is your night. You are the star." If Zac collapsed from stress, the entire banquet would be ruined. John nodded in agreement. "Just focus on enjoying yourself, Zac. Let them talk." Among them, only Julie didn’t rush to comfort Zac. Instead, she turned and walked toward Arthur. Zac’s gaze darkened as he watched her go. His lips curved into a polite smile. "Dad, Mom, Rosie, Susie, don’t worry. I’m fine. I just want to talk to Arthur for a moment." Following his line of sight, the Gray family finally noticed Arthur sitting in the corner. A bad feeling crept into their hearts. Something about this didn’t feel right. They wanted to stop Zac, but he was already striding forward before they could react. Julie reached Arthur first. Arthur glanced up from his phone and sighed. He had no choice but to put it away, the stock market screen disappearing from view. Julie didn’t waste time. "Arthur, where did you get that suit?" Arthur raised an eyebrow. "If I said Zac gave it to me, would you believe me?" Expecting her usual skepticism, he was surprised when Julie immediately nodded. "I believe you." Then, she subtly shifted her body to block the view of the crowd and lowered her voice. "When Zac gave you that suit, was anyone else there?" Arthur looked at her in surprise. What was she getting at? Did she actually suspect Zac of something underhanded? Wasn’t Zac always the golden boy in their eyes? Arthur pursed his lips, offering no answer. Julie grew anxious. "Arthur, answer me." From what she had observed, Arthur had nothing valuable on him—except that suit. And that suit was connected to Zac. Then there was the way Zac had walked into the banquet. The first thing he had done was search for Arthur. That wasn’t like him at all. In the past, he had never allowed Arthur to attend these events.Why would he suddenly go out of his way to acknowledge him now, putting him under everyone’s scrutiny? A nagging feeling gnawed at her. Something bad was about to happen. She had rushed to Arthur, hoping to prevent whatever was coming. Arthur smirked slightly. "Ms. Julie, why are you so nervous?" Julie bit her lip, struggling to find the right words. Without answering, she turned on her heel and headed straight for Zac. "Zac," she called firmly, stopping him in his tracks. "Let’s go over there instead. A lot of guests are waiting for you." She grabbed his wrist, trying to pull him away. Instinctively, she didn’t want Zac anywhere near Arthur. Arthur had suffered under Zac’s schemes for eight years. And after seeing the smirk Zac had hidden in their mother’s embrace, something in Julie had shifted. Zac smoothly pulled his hand away, his face full of warmth and politeness. "Julie, I just want to chat with Arthur. No need to be so tense." Then, without waiting for her response, he quickened his pace toward Arthur. Arthur watched, amused at Zac’s impatience. He was still just a sixteen-year-old boy, far less composed than his twenty-four-year-old self in the previous life. Julie tried to keep up, but Zac was already taller than her, and in heels, she couldn’t match his speed.