Zac had no doubt — if Solivair said he’d do something, he’d follow through without hesitation. Seeing Zac still standing there, respectful and unmoving despite the blow, Finley suddenly felt like he’d wasted his strength. He hadn’t held back at all. That wound on Zac’s forehead wasn’t small — the blood was still flowing freely. And he hadn’t even let Zac finish what he was saying before he’d gone and hit him. Isn’t he angry? Because of Arthur, Finley knew a bit about Zac’s background. The Gray family wasn’t quite on the same level as the Tremo family, but Zac had grown up in a pampered, privileged household, surrounded by love and care. In fact, Finley had once admired Zac’s ability to play the polished, polite charmer — had even studied it himself for a time. But meeting Zac had shown him something completely different. For someone who’d grown up so spoiled and sheltered, Zac had learned to endure things to a startling degree. That, more than anything, shocked Finley. What Finley couldn’t see was that Zac’s hands, hidden in the shadows, were clenched tightly around the hem of his shirt. Zac understood people like Finley far too well. The old Zac used to be just like him — manipulative, fake, always playing the role of the kind, polished heir in public. Craving everyone’s respect; even more desperate for the approval of his family elders, hoping to inherit it all. He knew exactly how Finley’s mind worked. Which meant Zac also knew exactly how to deal with someone like Finley. He had to admit — after everything he’d been through, his self-control had become something terrifying. He didn’t show even the slightest hint of resentment. Instead, he remained calm, even deferential, and finally finished the sentence Finley hadn’t let him get out earlier. "The one who spread the news was the president — Mateo." Finley froze, he said, "What? Mateo?" His voice cracked in disbelief. "Mateo? How the heck does he have the nerve?"Meanwhile, over in the president’s office. Hugo was lounging casually on the couch. "You’re really not afraid the Tremo family’s going to come after you for leaking that?" Mateo had known for years what the Tremo family had been up to. At that level, people like him tended to have a decent grasp of what went on behind closed doors. But until now, Mateo had stayed neutral — never stepping in, never choosing a side. This time, though, he’d finally decided to act. He wasn’t afraid of the Tremos anymore. He couldn’t expel Finley directly, but he could force him to quit on his own. Mateo smiled faintly. "Governance University has no place for someone like him. I used to look the other way when he didn’t cross the line, but this time, he damaged the school’s reputation and harmed our students." He himself had once been a poor kid clawing his way up. He knew what it felt like to ache for knowledge but felt helpless because of money. He had worked so hard to get into a good university, only to miss out on attending his dream school because he couldn’t afford the tuition. So the moment he became president of Governance University, the very first thing he did was establish clear, generous financial aid policies. Compared to other schools, Governance University had looser requirements and gave out significantly more aid. A large part of that came directly from the school’s revenue — money Mateo had personally allocated for underprivileged students. All he wanted was to give every student who loved learning a real shot at a better future. If a bit of tuition money was all it took to ruin someone’s dreams, he just couldn’t live with that. And yet somehow, someone like Finley had slipped through the cracks. The sheer gall — to deceive them all so thoroughly, manipulating everything from the shadows! Finley was only a sophomore, and the semester had barely begun. He’d been student council president for over a year now. In that time, no one knew how many poor students had suffered under him. Mateo had even foolishly believed the number of financial aid applicants had dropped in the past two years — and by a significant margin. And because Finley had started sponsoring a few students not long after enrolling, Mateo had started seeing him in a softer light.He’d formed the impression that Finley was kind and generous — and that led to too much trust. He’d never imagined Finley would do something like this. Now, along with the anger, there was guilt. Mateo blamed himself. He should have checked more thoroughly. He shouldn’t have trusted his instincts so blindly. Across the room, Hugo grinned at his words. "Relax — that’s what I’m here for." At that, Mateo’s eyes lit up.