Alexander Blackwood froze momentarily before swiftly regaining his composure. He offered Amy Sinclair a hurried apology.

"Ms. Sinclair, please accept my sincerest apologies. This was entirely our fault! We never should have targeted your son, and we certainly had no right to lay a finger on young Oliver."

The realization struck him like lightning—today, Sebastian and his son weren't particularly upset about what had happened to Bradley. What truly ignited their fury was the humiliation Amy had endured.

But wasn't Amy the wife of Alexander? Why would Sebastian and his son go to such lengths to defend her?

Though confusion clouded his thoughts, Richard Thornton was shrewd enough to keep his questions to himself.

His gaze shifted to his wife, Victoria, who stood frozen in shock. Anger surged through him, and he delivered a sharp slap across her face.

"What are you waiting for? Get on your knees and apologize to Ms. Sinclair—now!"

If this foolish woman had raised their son properly, if she hadn't been so desperate to flaunt her superiority in front of Amy, they wouldn't have offended Alexander and Sebastian.

Victoria, though seething with resentment, understood the stakes all too clearly—if she didn't swallow her pride now, their family's empire would crumble. The thought of losing her lavish lifestyle terrified her more than anything.

Every ounce of arrogance she had once displayed vanished in an instant. Now, as meek as she had once been haughty, Victoria dropped to her knees.

"Ms... Ms. Sinclair, I sincerely apologize. My words were inexcusable. Please, I beg you, don't hold this against me."

Dignity meant nothing when weighed against wealth and security.

Richard's groveling made one thing abundantly clear—Sebastian had the power to dismantle Thornton Industries with a single word.

Regret twisted inside Victoria like a knife. She had never imagined that the woman her family had scorned would be so fortunate—to have such powerful allies standing firmly behind her.

Amy looked down at the couple kneeling before her, silent for a long moment. The Thorntons' anxiety grew, their hearts pounding as they awaited her judgment.

Finally, Amy spoke. "Liam, do you want to forgive them?"

Liam blinked in surprise. He hadn't expected his mother to defer the decision to him. Wasn't she supposed to defend Oliver, that spoiled brat? Why was she giving him the choice? Did she no longer want him?

But Amy knew her son's heart better than anyone. She could read his unspoken thoughts as clearly as if he had voiced them.

"It's because of me that you were excluded and bullied by the other children," she said softly, her voice steady and warm. "I didn't even realize you were suffering. That's my failure."

Her words washed over Liam, bittersweet and tender.

"I know you think I'm a weak mother, someone who can't protect you. But I've done everything I could with what I had. Standing up for you today—that's my final gift to you as your mother."

In that moment, Liam realized his mother wasn't entirely powerless. And more importantly, when it came to this decision—she had entrusted it to him, not to Oliver.

A tightness gripped his chest, an emotion he couldn't quite name.

The scene left Bradley in tears, thoroughly shaken by what he had witnessed. Though he wasn't forced to kneel, a sincere apology was still demanded.

Despite everything, Liam remained kind-hearted. In the end, he forgave Bradley.

But even after Liam's forgiveness, Alexander remained silent.

Amy understood Alexander's temperament—he wasn't one to let things slide so easily. But that was no longer her concern.

Just as Amy had predicted, Nathan's so-called friends never appeared. They fancied themselves his loyal allies, but who would dare challenge Sebastian? Even if the world turned upside down, Nathan would handle it. With Nathan's influence and his close ties to Alexander, who would be foolish enough to seek trouble?