The principal of such a prestigious school was no ordinary person, and John knew better than to offend him. Otherwise, the consequences for Zac would be severe. John spoke lightly, as if all of this was just Arthur being immature and making a scene. Originally, John had felt a shred of guilt toward Arthur. But after last night—when Arthur mercilessly trampled his reputation in front of the entire high society—John had no goodwill left for him. Mr. Lane and everyone else in the room were utterly stunned by John’s outrageous statement. What was he even saying? Zac was gentle, well-behaved, and kind? This was all just a misunderstanding? Just boys fooling around? Arthur was the one being unreasonable, dragging their family affairs into the public eye and shaming the Gray family? And as for Zac—the one who had done all those terrible things—he was simply being "playful"? Mr. Lane was so shocked that he couldn't help but blurt out the question everyone else was thinking. “Mr. John, between Arthur and Zac, which one is actually your son?” Zac’s hands clenched tightly. His status as an adopted child was his greatest insecurity. He didn’t want to hear those words. John’s expression flickered, his gaze turning slightly unnatural as a face—gentle and beautiful—surfaced in his mind, buried deep in his memories. Hearing this, Susie was the first to object. “Mr. Lane, that’s not right! Zac may be adopted, but he’s kind, sensible, and well-mannered. He’s been a part of our family for years—we’ve always treated him as our real brother! Mom and Dad see him as their own son.” She shot Arthur a disdainful look before adding, “No, more than a son!” Raelynn quickly followed up, “That’s right, Mr. Lane. Zac is our son. We’ve spoiled him since he was young—he’s just too innocent and doesn’t always think things through. Please understand.”What nonsense. She called Zac innocent? An “innocent” person bullied the biological son of his adoptive family for eight years straight? The crowd was once again floored by the absurdity of Raelynn’s words. Truly, birds of a feather flock together. This family… were they naive, or just plain foolish? People suddenly started feeling sorry for Arthur. To be born into such a ridiculous family—what bad luck. Despite being part of a wealthy household, he had to work part-time just to support himself. On top of that, he suffered both physical and emotional abuse. Compared to this so-called luxury, wasn’t an ordinary life much better? John also chimed in eagerly, “That’s right, Mr. Lane. Zac is even closer to us than a biological son—he is a Gray!” His tone was firm, as if he was trying to convince himself of something. Seeing the family’s collective response, Mr. Lane couldn’t help but curse under his breath. He looked at John incredulously. “Mr. John, are you even listening to yourself? No matter how close you are to Zac, it doesn’t change the fact that Arthur is your real son! He’s been bullied to this extent, and you—his parents—aren’t even worried or upset?” In all his years as an educator, Mr. Lane had met many parents who would go to great lengths to stand up for their children. This was the first time he had ever seen parents who knew their son had suffered immensely and still chose to protect the abuser. If Arthur didn’t look so much like John and Raelynn, Mr. Lane might have suspected that he wasn’t even their real child! Mr. Lane’s words made the Gray family hesitate for a moment. They wanted to treat both children equally, but why did Arthur always have to oppose Zac? And after last night—when Arthur humiliated the Gray family in front of the entire elite circle and even caused their company’s stock to plummet—the damage was irreversible. Arthur had never been someone they felt was worth protecting, and now, his actions only made him even more insufferable in their eyes.John realized that reasoning with Mr. Lane was getting nowhere. He discreetly pulled the principal aside, slipping a black credit card into his hand while lowering his voice. “Mr. Lane, here’s a hundred thousand. No password needed. My son was just spoiled too much—he’s not a bad kid. Please keep an eye on him for us.” He even gave Mr. Lane a friendly pat on the shoulder, like they were old friends. But to John’s shock, Mr. Lane flung the card away like it was something filthy. He didn’t even try to be subtle—he took a dramatic step back and raised his voice. “What do you think you’re doing?! I don’t take bribes!”