Arthur arched an eyebrow. Seriously? Trying to provoke me? How amateur. Hearing Zac’s words, John straightened up proudly, already preparing himself for Arthur’s inevitable apology. He had it all planned out—how he would put Arthur in his place, humiliate him, and make it crystal clear to everyone that he was the one who controlled the Gray family. That defying him had consequences. And he wasn’t going to stop there. He would hold onto that declaration of estrangement and publicly declare that Arthur was no longer part of the family. Let him suffer under the pressure of public opinion. Let him feel the pain. Only then would Arthur learn to obey. Only then would he never dare to talk back again. But instead of the desperate apology he was expecting, John heard something else entirely—the sharp sound of a pen scratching against paper. Arthur signed his name without hesitation. "Zac, give it a rest. We’re already past the point of no return. Don’t waste your breath trying to provoke me. I’m not interested in your garbage." Zac stiffened, scrambling to recover. "Arthur, what do you mean? I’m just trying to help you." Arthur let out a cold laugh. "Help me? You mean by bullying me for eight years?" Zac froze, unable to respond. There was no way to deny it. The truth was already out. John was stunned as Arthur signed the application form without hesitation and handed it over to the officer. He even had the nerve to politely say, "Thank you for your help." The officer didn’t say much, just gave a simple nod in response. He’s actually serious about leaving the Gray family? How is this even possible? John had only arranged for this as a bluff, just to scare Arthur into backing down. He never once thought Arthur would actually go through with it. Arthur had nothing. No house, no shares in Gray Corporation, not even a single cent to his name. The property John had randomly assigned him was a rundown, abandoned house—unlivable and located in the middle of nowhere. If Arthur really cut ties, where was he supposed to go? School would eventually go on break. Where would he stay then? He had nowhere to go. And he was still a minor. Just a high school freshman. How was he going to pay tuition? South High’s fees were no joke. And if news got out that John had thrown his underage son out with nothing, his reputation would be in shambles. The whole city would call him a monster. But backing down? Swallowing his pride? Not a chance. For the first time, real panic set in. As he watched the officer typing away on the computer, he desperately threw Raelynn a look, silently urging her to do something. Raelynn had been silently wiping her tears when she felt John tug on her sleeve. She turned to him, puzzled. "John, is something wrong with your eye?" John was at a loss for words. Zac caught the way John was signaling Raelynn and clenched his fists. Without missing a beat, he stepped forward. "Dad, let me take you to the hospital. Arthur pushed you earlier—did you hit your eye?" Arthur was convinced—these people were born to act. I only blocked John’s hand. I didn’t karate chop him in the face. How the heck did he hit his eye? But none of that mattered. The only thing that mattered now was making sure the household transfer was finalized. Arthur stayed close to the computer, completely unfazed. Finally, the new household registration booklet printed out. Once it was stamped and made official, Arthur snatched it up without hesitation. For the first time, he let out a deep breath. A sense of relief washed over him. It’s over. I’m finally free from the Gray family. That same day, a headline exploded across the trending news. Arthur Gray, heir to the Gray family, voluntarily cuts all ties with his family. At just sixteen, the Gray family’s rightful heir is betrayed by the adopted son and forced out. Journalists never missed a juicy story, and this one had all the makings of a scandal. The people of South City immediately began debating the truth. Rumors flew, speculation ran wild, and for a while, no one knew what to believe.But with everything that had happened recently, it wasn’t hard for the public to connect the dots. And then, more news followed—Arthur’s name refused to leave the spotlight. Disowned Gray heir calls off engagement with Fraser heiress—now romantically linked to South High’s hottest girl! Just like that, Arthur became the center of attention. His name was on everyone’s lips in South City. The following day. Arthur took the day off to meet with Stanley and complete the company transfer. The first thing he did when leaving the house was buy a new phone. John had installed a tracking app on his previous phone, which was why Peter had been able to find the Gibson Manor so quickly the day before—it was all thanks to that phone.