He used to think they wouldn’t dare beat him to death—but clearly, they weren’t scared at all. They acted like they had nothing to lose, like leaving him crippled or worse didn’t matter one bit. Arthur rushed forward and helped him up. “I saw everything. No way I was just going to walk away.” The moment Arthur said that, the guy’s eyes welled up with tears. Thank God. Thank God I held on. Thank God I didn’t give in to Henry. He always knew Arthur was one of the good ones. There was no way he could hurt someone like that. Arthur was still covered in wounds, yet the moment he saw someone getting jumped, he didn’t hesitate—he jumped right in. Arthur didn’t even know him. And still, he’d risked everything for a total stranger. People like that? He’d never met anyone like that in his entire life. While they were talking, the police arrived. The officer in charge blinked in surprise when he saw Arthur. “You again?” Arthur scratched his head, a little embarrassed. He’d reported incidents so many times, he’d dealt with officers from multiple precincts. Seeing him covered in blood, the officers didn’t waste time with questions. They loaded everyone into the car, asking questions about what had happened as they sped off toward the hospital. On the way there, the guy—who’d made the call—gave his full statement. The bleeding spots were quickly wrapped in gauze, and they made it to the hospital in no time. Doctors immediately took them in for emergency treatment and wound care. Luckily, the guy didn’t break any bones—just some cuts and bruises. Once they were patched up, they were placed in the same hospital room. The minute police got their statements, they sent officers after Henry’s crew. But even by the time the hospital staff had finished treating their injuries, the cops had turned up nothing.Henry and his gang had completely vanished. It was like they’d disappeared into thin air—and they’d clearly avoided the surveillance cameras on purpose, like they’d planned their escape ahead of time. Ashley had only minor injuries this time. Just like before, she helped take care of Arthur. The guy looked down, guilt all over his face. “Arthur, Ashley, I’m really sorry. You got hurt because of me.” They tore their stitches because they jumped in to help him. With people that decent, how could he not feel guilty? Arthur cracked a smile. “C’mon, don’t get all emotional on me now.” As soon as he said that, the mood in the room lightened a bit. The guy introduced himself. “I’m Hudson Martinez, a freshman. I’ve looked up to you for a long time, and I finally got the chance to talk to you today.” But as he got further into it, his face turned serious. Arthur raised an eyebrow, a little surprised. “Looked up to me?” At Governance University, all he ever heard were rumors and criticism. Some said he didn’t deserve to be Mr. Hugo’s student. Others claimed he wasn’t fit to be student body president. He honestly didn’t think anyone saw him in a positive light. Hudson gave a serious nod. “Yeah, I really admire you. You were the top SAT scorer in our class, and Mr. Hugo picked you himself. You’re strong and brave, and you never back down from bullies. You’re my role model.” Arthur couldn’t help but laugh. A role model? That was a first. He never imagined anyone would actually see him that way. “Bullies? Who do you mean?” At Governance University, the only ones who ever messed with him were Finley and his crew—Kent and Henry. Finley was always the mastermind, but in public, he played the nice guy. He’d even paid tuition for a few students. That was real. So if Hudson was talking about bullies, it probably wasn’t Finley.Kent and Henry might’ve thrown their weight around on campus, but it was all because they had Finley behind them. Arthur couldn’t quite figure out who Hudson meant. But Hudson didn’t even hesitate. “Of course, I’m talking about Finley!” “Finley?” Even Ashley was surprised this time. She hadn’t been at Governance University for long, but with all the drama between Arthur and Finley, she’d picked up plenty about him. Finley had always played the part of the polite, generous guy on campus. And to be fair, he had sponsored a few students and even donated money to the school. Sure, the donations probably weren’t his idea—Arthur more or less pressured him into it. But he did donate. That was a fact. From the outside—especially for someone like Hudson, who wasn’t really involved—Finley seemed like a good guy. But Hudson nodded firmly. “Yeah. I mean it. Finley.” Arthur gave him a puzzled look. “Why? Isn’t he supposed to be this generous, nice guy? You don’t like him?” Hudson looked genuinely surprised. “Like him? Someone like that? Why would any of us like him?”