The whole scene didn’t look like they were bullying Arthur; it looked more like Arthur was the one doing the bullying. Arthur stared at them coldly; not an ounce of sympathy stirred in him. He hadn’t forgotten the arrogance they’d shown when they barged in, pressuring him like they owned the place. Back then, did they ever stop to think about how their actions might hurt me, embarrass me, or piss me off? Now they were begging Arthur for mercy, but not because they’d realized they were wrong or had any genuine remorse. No; it was because they knew if they didn’t beg, they were done for. They didn’t want to get arrested, and even more than that, they didn’t want to go to jail. They were just scared, that’s all. Arthur still stood by the door, completely still; the office door behind him was shut tight, like a wall sealing off their future. The bolder, tougher ones—people like Henry—looked at Arthur with nothing but anger. They shot disdainful glances at the ones groveling on the floor, full of contempt for their behavior. A group of them started moving in on Arthur, voices harsh and full of resentment. “Arthur! If you’re not gonna move, then don’t blame us for not holding back!” There were so many of them. They didn’t believe Arthur could block their way, couldn’t possibly stop all of them from getting out and saving their own future. Henry saw that a few of them had finally decided to grow a spine, and a cruel smile tugged at the corners of his lips. “Arthur, look at you—you’re the one blocking us in, bullying us! What gives you the right to accuse us of trying to borrow money, of extortion?” Henry’s meaning couldn’t have been clearer. There was no evidence, no case. As long as we stuck to denying everything, what could Arthur possibly do to us? This office used to belong to Finley. Henry knew for a fact—there weren’t any cameras in here. The moment Henry finished speaking, the crowd caught on quick. The people who’d been groveling on the ground suddenly froze. The ones who’d been pleading nonstop shut their mouths.A different light began to flicker in more than a few eyes. Of course—Henry was right. As long as we denied it, what could Arthur actually do about it?" There were so many of them. Are we really going to lose a battle of words to Arthur alone? All they had to do was insist they’d only come to discuss student council business; Arthur had just overreacted. They’d say Arthur misunderstood their intentions—that’s why he panicked and called the cops. Some of the ones who’d been groveling glanced down at their own knees. A man's pride hadn't come cheap; unless there had been no other choice, no one had wanted to drop to their knees and grovel—especially not in front of Arthur, someone they had once treated like dirt. Some of them began slowly standing up. Others were still watching, waiting. But the ones who’d been kneeling and begging? They’d stopped completely. Arthur gave them a cold, sweeping look. Heh—just as expected. Are they really worth pitying? There was nothing about them that deserved his sympathy. They didn’t think they’d done anything wrong. The only reason they had begged for mercy was to protect their own interests. It was only when their own skin was on the line that they got desperate. And now that they’d realized their interests might not be in danger, they weren’t desperate anymore. Instead of continuing to ask for Arthur’s forgiveness, they chose to wait and see. Henry and the others didn’t care about any of that. A cruel glint flashed across his face. Suddenly, with a sharp wave of his arm, he lunged forward—his fist swinging straight at Arthur. He knew Arthur could fight. But no matter how good he was, there was no way he could take on all of them. Even if Arthur managed to beat them all, once the police arrived, they could flip the story in an instant. Say Arthur lured them here. Say Arthur attacked them. The others saw Henry strike and immediately surged forward. They had to get out—now. They didn’t want a full-blown fight in school, and they definitely didn’t want to hurt Arthur. But they weren’t about to just sit here and wait to be taken down.Once the cops showed up, even if they swore up and down that they hadn’t extorted Arthur, the fact that so many of them had gathered here would still leave them wide open to suspicion. But as long as they made it out that door, they could distance themselves from the whole thing. They could even claim they’d never come here at all. There were no cameras outside the student council office; they could say whatever they wanted. Seeing the crowd rushing him, Arthur clenched his fists.