No way... Was I seeing things? For a second, it felt like Finley was ready to kill me. Henry tried to talk himself down. This is a civilized world—we’ve got laws and order. Stuff like that doesn’t just happen. Right? And yet, for some reason, he suddenly thought of Kent—the friend who’d vanished without a trace. Kent had always been his closest partner, even after getting expelled from school. They still kept in touch. But no matter how many times Henry called, Kent’s phone was always off. Texts? Never answered. Back then, Henry was pissed. He figured Kent had moved on, found better connections, and cut ties with a broke nobody like him. But in that brief, terrifying moment when Finley looked at him, Henry couldn’t shake the image of Kent. Now, it didn’t feel like a coincidence. For some reason, Kent suddenly popped into his head—and he couldn’t stop thinking about him. A chill spread through Henry’s chest. The words just stopped. He couldn’t bring himself to say anything. Everyone at Governance University knew Henry was one of Finley’s guys. And everyone also knew Finley and Arthur didn’t get along. Now, here Henry was—calling out to Finley like a desperate man, pleading with his eyes, begging with his voice. The entire crowd couldn’t help but make the connection. Still, no one dared say it aloud. Not with Finley standing right there. No one was brave—or stupid—enough to accuse someone from the Tremo family. Mateo turned at the sound of Henry shouting Finley’s name. So did the school director and a few teachers nearby. A flash of disgust crossed Mateo’s face. Finley. Again.If it weren’t for the fact that he was part of the Tremo family, they would’ve expelled him long ago. But even Mateo couldn’t afford to cross the Tremos. Eventually, Henry and the rest of the group were taken away. The second they were out of sight, Mateo went straight back to his office and expelled every last one of them. Just like that, their political futures were cut short. Getting kicked out of Governance University for this? That was the kiss of death. No serious school would take them after that—forget about a future in politics. Their futures had been destroyed by their own greed. And with charges of attempted extortion hanging over them, the consequences would last a lifetime. Forget politics—even getting a regular job would be hard. If anyone found out about their past, it could seriously mess up their future. Arthur watched the students being taken away by the police, and he didn’t feel the slightest bit sorry for them. They had brought this on themselves. The moment they ganged up on him, trying to force him into giving them money, they sealed their own fate. They brought this on themselves. They didn’t deserve anyone’s sympathy. If he hadn’t planned ahead, if he hadn’t called the cops... if he were just some regular guy with no way to protect himself, they would’ve backed him into a corner and made him pay big. And it wouldn’t have stopped there. Once you gave in, they’d keep coming back for more. If they were actually broke and couldn’t afford tuition, Arthur might’ve helped. But they weren’t. Sure, their families weren’t wealthy, but they’d never had to worry about tuition. Even the few who were sponsored by Finley—none of them came from families so poor they couldn’t pay. The moment he gave in once, they’d keep coming back for more.Arthur wasn’t about to let that happen. It was always the same group causing trouble—the ones he’d taken under his wing. But this time, they went all in—and Arthur shut them down in one move. The truth was, even if this incident hadn’t happened, even if he hadn’t reported them—they still wouldn’t have graduated. At Governance University, student conduct wasn’t just a formality. It was strictly enforced—and impossible to game. Mateo had built the system himself, and it was rock solid. All Arthur had done was speed things up. Sooner or later, they were going to get kicked out. Finley might’ve stayed out of it with one sharp look that shut Henry up—just enough to keep himself out of the mess. But Henry yelling his name in front of everyone? Yeah, Finley caught that. That idiot nearly dragged him down with him. Still, the real problem here was Arthur. He was the one who ruined everything. Those students? Finley had spent a long time putting that crew together—loyal, easy to control, obedient, and easy to manipulate. He’d poured in time, energy, and a ton of money to make it all work. And now, because of one stupid move, Arthur had taken them all out in one shot. Finley cast Arthur a long, cold stare as the crowd began to scatter. It was as if nothing had happened—but the whispers around campus hadn’t stopped since.