Just from the man’s silhouette—his stride, his presence—Arthur could feel it. This was someone powerful. So powerful, in fact, that his aura alone rivaled everyone else in the room. He looked to be in his sixties. His expression was stern, his hair and beard silvered with age, but it only added to the weight of his presence. The lines on his face weren’t softening—if anything, they carved even deeper authority into him. His sharp, piercing eyes swept across the banquet hall—and landed squarely on Arthur and Ashley. For a fleeting moment, the old man’s expression shifted ever so slightly as he looked at Arthur—like something familiar had caught him off guard. But it lasted barely a second. Then the steel returned to his gaze. He said nothing at first, only walked forward slowly and took the seat at the head of the hall. Once he was seated, his voice rang out, low and cold. “Speak. What’s all this noise?” He hadn’t raised his voice, but it was enough to send a chill down everyone’s spine. Over a hundred elite guests in the hall—yet not a single one dared to answer. Every head bowed. The room fell into absolute silence. After a few moments, with no reply, Drake’s expression darkened. “What, cat got your tongues? You had a lot to say just now, didn’t you? Where’s all that talk now?” Among the crowd, Solivair lowered his head even more. The smugness and ease from earlier had vanished completely. He regretted it. If he’d just stepped in and admitted he was the one who brought Arthur and Ashley, things wouldn’t have escalated to this. Now he was stuck—trapped between pride and fear.Arthur and Ashley were stunned at what they saw. These were world leaders—men and women who stood at the peaks of their industries and nations. Figures people like them could only look up to. But now? They all bowed their heads, silent and still, like schoolchildren awaiting punishment. Even Solivair— The same Solivair who held sway in Lioran. The man even Hugo and the Lovaris family couldn’t handle. Now he looked like a cowering quail, trying his hardest not to be noticed. Just who was this man at the top of the room? How could he command this kind of fear and reverence? It was beyond belief. Drake’s sharp gaze swept once more through the room and came to rest again on Arthur and Ashley—now standing alone in the center of it all. He leaned back in his chair, relaxed but radiating absolute control. “You two in the middle—speak.” As he said it, he gave a slight nod toward them—just enough to indicate who he meant. Ashley’s hands tensed instantly. Her body trembled as she clutched Arthur’s hand tightly—her fear was impossible to hide. If he weren’t holding her hand so firmly, Ashley might have collapsed on the spot. Even the world’s most powerful were bowing low to this man. Compared to them, she and Arthur were mere specks. And now, he had spoken their names aloud. The pressure was suffocating. Ashley could barely breathe, her heart hammering against her chest. Arthur squeezed her hand firmly, wordlessly reassuring her. Ashley forced herself to stay upright, to remain composed.She knew—if she broke down here, they might be dragged out without question. A man like Drake didn’t waste time on weaklings. Arthur’s mind, however, had cleared. Earlier, as suspicion swirled around them, he had been racking his brain for a solution. Now, under immense pressure, he was eerily calm. He raised a hand and pointed straight at Solivair. “We came here with Mr. Solivair,” he said evenly. “It seems Mr. Solivair didn’t notice us earlier, which left us standing alone and led to a misunderstanding. I apologize to you, sir, and to everyone here, for the disturbance.” Then, Arthur bowed deeply to Drake and to the gathered guests. He was composed, respectful, and unafraid—an island of calm in a sea of terrified elites. The contrast was striking. Even Drake’s eyes flickered. The room turned to look at Solivair. All of them. Together. And their gazes had changed—from confusion to blame. Solivair had brought them, and yet he’d let them take the fall? Now they had stirred up Mr. Drake’s wrath—and no one knew how far that fury would go. And when Drake got angry, no one left unscathed. Solivair, under the weight of hundreds of accusing eyes, went pale. He hadn’t expected it.That under Drake’s pressure, Arthur wouldn’t crumble—but instead, point directly at him.