"Ashley’s really getting close to him. Doesn’t she worry about Zac retaliating?" "Come on, Zac is just an adopted son. What’s there to be afraid of?" "Are you stupid? You think the Gray family just found out he was adopted today? They’ve always known, and they still treat him like he’s the real heir. That means he holds a high position in their family." "Yeah, you’ve got a point…" Ashley and Arthur paid no attention to the murmuring behind them. They walked toward the cafeteria with light steps, chatting as they went. Ashley admired Arthur’s resilience—especially after watching how he had taken down the Gray family at the banquet. For the first time, she felt like she saw a reflection of herself in someone else. After grabbing their meals, they found a quiet corner to sit in. Ashley barely touched her food before bursting out excitedly, "I watched the video from last night. You were amazing! You actually predicted Zac would try to pull that dirty trick and recorded him in advance!" Arthur sheepishly scratched his head. If it weren’t for his rebirth, he would have fallen for it again—just like in his past life. Ashley continued, "And the way you shut them all down! That was seriously badass! You finally learned how to fight back! Listen, you should never just endure things quietly. The more you endure, the more people walk all over you." Arthur raised an eyebrow. "You’re pretty young to be this wise." Ashley scoffed. "You’re not much older than me." Arthur smirked. Psychologically, he was twenty-four. In his mind, he was already eight years older than Ashley. "Let’s just say… experience teaches you things." Arthur noticed the slight melancholy in her tone. "Your family must treat you well, right?" he asked tentatively. From what he knew, Ashley came from a well-off family and should have been a carefree noble lady. But after spending time with her, Arthur felt like she was far more mature than most sixteen-year-olds. Ashley hesitated. After a long pause, she finally said, "Maybe." She clearly didn’t want to elaborate, so Arthur didn’t press the subject. As they were finishing their meal, Arthur’s phone rang. John. He wasn’t surprised. Arthur picked up, and immediately, John’s furious voice blasted through the speaker. "Where the hell have you been?! Why haven’t you answered your phone all morning?!" Arthur frowned slightly but replied calmly, "I was in class. My phone was off." John was so enraged he nearly choked. He took a few deep breaths before forcing himself to speak. "Come home this afternoon!" Arthur remained indifferent. "I have class." "You—!" John’s fury boiled over. "Do you even know what you’ve done?! Zac is in this mess because of you! Do you have any idea what people are saying about him?!" Arthur let out a cold chuckle. "Oh? And that’s my fault?" "Who else?!" John bellowed. If Arthur had just kept quiet instead of humiliating Zac at his own birthday banquet, none of this would have happened. The Gray family’s reputation had been completely trashed. Arthur wasn’t even angry anymore. He had heard the same nonsense far too many times. "If you really think it’s a crime," Arthur said nonchalantly, "go ahead and call the police." "You—!" John was so furious he started shaking."Ungrateful brat! Filthy ingrate!" Then, Zac’s voice came through the phone. "Dad, don’t get angry. I’m fine, really. This is all my fault… Dad, I’m sorry. I’m really sorry… Please, take care of your health." Arthur could practically see the act Zac was putting on—crying, pretending to comfort John, playing the victim. Disgusted, Arthur hung up. Ashley, who had been watching him closely, frowned. "What happened?" Arthur shook his head. "Nothing. They’re not worth your attention." After lunch, just as Arthur was heading back to class, trouble arrived. The Gray family had come. Zac, along with John, Raelynn, and his sisters, stormed into the school. Even before they reached the classroom, John’s furious roar echoed through the entire building. "Get out of here, Arthur!" The whole school heard it.