"What... what in the world is happening?"

Amy Sinclair, who had been silent until now, finally spoke, her voice steady but firm.

"Your son, Bradley, has been the ringleader in bullying my son, Liam, at their previous preschool. And today, because of an argument with Oliver, he started a fight with him too."

She handed her phone to Richard Thornton, whose face was frozen in shock.

"This is the footage from today. Why don’t you take a look, Mr. Thornton?"

Richard accepted the phone, forcing a servile smile. "Thank you, Margaret."

Since Liam was Bradley’s classmate, Richard had attended Liam’s birthday party as well. He’d witnessed Amy’s humiliation firsthand that day. But as a seasoned businessman, he was far more cunning than his wife and knew how to navigate delicate situations. Unlike Victoria, who wore her disdain openly, Richard made sure to show Amy nothing but deference, bowing and scraping as if she were a VIP client. Victoria could hardly believe her eyes. Her stomach twisted with sudden dread. Had she gone too far in her arrogance toward Amy just now?

Richard finished watching the video quickly. His expression darkened, lips pressed into a thin line, his fingers trembling around the phone.

No wonder... No wonder Sebastian and Alexander had looked at him like that. So his son hadn’t just bullied Alexander’s child—he’d even gotten into a fight with Sebastian’s son.

Richard’s jaw tightened. He forced another smile, though his face twitched with strain.

"Mr. Kingsley, Mr. Blackwood, children are young—they don’t know any better. Please, allow me to apologize to both of you, and to your sons. Tell me, what can I do to make this right?"

He bent so low he was practically folding himself in half, his humility on full display. Victoria gaped at him, eyes wide with disbelief. Instinctively, she jumped in to defend herself. "But it was Sebastian’s son who threw the first punch! Just look at Bradley—he’s the one who got hurt the worst!"

She yanked Bradley forward as proof. Richard shot her a murderous glare. "Will you shut your mouth?!"

Sebastian drawled lazily, "When I arrived, your wife demanded Celeste and my son kneel and apologize. Now, demanding someone kneel is excessive, I’ll admit, but that was her idea of an apology. If I refuse, wouldn’t that be disrespecting your dear wife, Mr. Thornton? Don’t you agree?"

In that moment, Richard finally understood how he’d offended Sebastian. He turned and, without hesitation, slapped Victoria hard across the face.

Smack!

Victoria’s vision blurred. She clutched her stinging cheek, staring at her husband in shock.

Richard glared at her, his voice shaking with fury. "I work myself to the bone for this family, and you—you cause nothing but trouble! Damn it! Get on your knees right now and apologize to Mr. Kingsley, or I swear—!"

He dragged Bradley forward as well. "You too!"

Sebastian interrupted, "Leave the children out of this. If a child misbehaves, the fault lies with the parents. The adults can apologize on their behalf."

At this point, Richard knew that if Sebastian demanded he grovel, he’d do it—he’d lick the floor if necessary. Their family’s reputation—maybe even their entire livelihood—was at stake.

Swallowing his pride, Richard dropped to his knees with a heavy thud.

"Oliver, I am truly sorry. This was entirely our fault. I hope you can forgive us."

But Oliver simply pointed at Amy, standing quietly to the side. "You’re apologizing to the wrong person. You should be saying sorry to Amy."