Keen watched the scene unfold, his lips pressed together in a tight, silent line.
When Mrs. Ayers heard that Ste was currently Marvin''s guardian, the disdain and contempt shing across her face couldn''t have been more obvious. She didn''t even try to hide it—she clearly didn''t take his mom seriously at all.
Everyone looked down on his mother.
Was it really wrong for him to feel embarrassed by her?
Besides, she couldn''t really protect him, could she?
Ste, meanwhile, caught the nasty twist of Mrs. Ayers'' mouth and let a cold, mocking smile tug at her lips.
"Kneel and apologize? Mrs. Ayers, do you even realize what you''re saying?"
Her dark eyes, sharp and bright, bore straight into Mrs. Ayers'', unwavering. "Care to repeat that?"
Mrs. Ayers held her ground, chin lifted high. "And why wouldn''t I? I—”
She stopped mid-sentence, suddenly noticing the principal and teachers staring at her in an odd, ufortable way.
No matter how heated things got, demanding a child kneel and beg forgiveness was crossing a line.
Every family here was either wealthy or influential-no one''s situation was so desperate that they''d tolerate this kind of humiliation.
And honestly, what era was this? Who still demanded people kneel to apologize?
Even if Marvin''s guardian was just an ordinary person, this was way out of line. Noticing everyone''s pointed looks, Mrs. Ayers quickly realized she''d said too much.
Being harsh with adults was one thing, but targeting a kid-she''d definitely gone too far.
She scowled, a flicker of malice darting through her eyes before she spoke again. "If a child misbehaves, it''s the parents'' fault. Since you''re the guardian of this troublemaker, you should be the one to kneel and apologize for him."
Ste let out a dry, amusedugh, as if she''d just heard the world''s most ridiculous joke. "Mrs. Ayers, the days of bowing and scraping to people like you are long gone. You''re hardly worthy of that kind of respect."
Mrs. Ayers'' face flushed with anger. "When a child makes a mistake, the guardian should take responsibility. Isn''t that your duty?"
Ste''s smile remained, cold and steady. "Since you''re so sure of yourself, why don''t we let the inte decide who''s right and who''s wrong?"
With that, she pulled out her phone, ready to start a livestream.
Mrs. Ayers stiffened. She knew Ste was a well-known phnthropist these days, with a growing public profile.
Ste might not have powerful connections, but if a video of this scene made it online, the bacsh would be brutal.
The Ayers Group''s reputation would be destroyed in a heartbeat.
Even the Haynes family hadn''t been able to suppress Ste''s recent poprity— how could the Ayers family possibly manage it?
Panic shed across Mrs. Ayers'' face as she rushed to block Ste, her voice shrill with rm.
"You can''t record me without my permission-that''s a vition of my privacy! It''s illegal!"
Ste met her eyes, unflinching. "So, do you still want Marvin and me to kneel and apologize for you?"
Mrs. Ayers faltered, her expression shifting rapidly between rage and uncertainty.
Just then, a deep,nguid voice sounded from the doorway.
"I''d like to see who dares to make my son kneel and confess."
Everyone turned to see a tall, impably dressed man stride confidently into the room.
He was strikingly handsome, his features sharp and defined. The warmth that usually lingered in his eyes had vanished, reced by a steely chill that seemed to freeze the very air.
Mrs. Ayers''sposure wavered as she recognized him.
"Who are you?"
Ignoring her, Neville turned his attention to Ste. "Star, what''s going on?"
Ste replied calmly, "Marvin got into a fight. I just arrived myself I don''t know the full story yet."
She nced over at the principal and teachers. "Is there any security footage? Could we take a look at what actually happened?"
The principal and teachers nodded in agreement.
At that moment, Sheldon''s mother suddenly realized the man standing before them might actually be Marvin''s real guardian.