An apology

Once her belongings were packed, Siren opted against heading to Grey's mansion now. Her presence wasn't necessary for Grey's people to handle the arrangements.

Meanwhile, Raven decided to skip his office too. With the impending deal with Shadows looming, he delegated the task of meeting preparations to his friend Hardin. His priority now was resolving his son's school dispute.

Raven sat in the director's chair at the Imperial Academy, his expression dark. The people before him remained silent, heads lowered as sweat trickled down their foreheads, due to the oppressive atmosphere in the room.

Aiden stood at his father's side, seemingly unaffected by the tense atmosphere. The swelling on his cheeks had subsided, and a tissue, slightly tinged red from blood, covered the tear on his lips, creating an unusual sight against his normally rosy and tender lips.

Jason and his family stood before Raven, their legs trembling as they bowed their heads.

"Mr. Grey, I sincerely apologize for my son's actions. Please forgive us," Jason's father, Jonathan, begged continuously for forgiveness. Jason's mother gritted her teeth and clenched them tightly, disdain evident in her expression as she watched her husband plead for mercy. She despised a man who lacked spine.

Raven sat in silence, his gaze fixed on the boy who had harmed his son. The refusal to acknowledge the mistake remained evident on the boy's face as he stood before them and silently glared at his own son who was standing beside him.

"You may realize the mistake, but I'm not sure your son does," Raven's voice cut through the heavy silence, carrying a weight of seriousness.

The director, principal, and homeroom teacher stood off to the side, silent like a wall, refraining from involvement in the conversation. They understood the gravity of the situation, particularly upon seeing the wound on the heir of the Grey family. All they could do was hope that the Imperial Academy would last after this ordeal.

After all, it was Raven Grey, the most influential man in Worcester. If he wishes, he will make this academy vanish from the face of the earth.

When Jonathan heard those words, he turned to gaze at his son, who's eyes were currently glaring at the boy standing beside Raven. His mind was consumed by fury. Jonathan had worked tirelessly for the past two years to gain approval for the project from Altron Groups. However, their standards and expectations far exceeded his own talent and creativity.

After six months of relentless day and night effort, he had finally secured the project from Altron's sub-branch. Though this sub-branch paled in comparison to the main branch, Jonathan knew he would still benefit from this project.

For the past week, he had been celebrating the success of securing the project, only to have his joy shattered upon hearing that his son had injured the young master of the Grey family from the academy yesterday. 

When Jonathan returned home that day, he found his wife comforting their son. Jason stood up from the couch upon seeing his father and rushed to hug him, tears streaming down his face. However, Jonathan paid little attention to his son's tears. His mind was consumed by worry about losing the project. If it's about losing a single project he can come up with another to mitigate the loss, but he was all too aware of Raven Grey's ruthlessness.

With the thought of his business potentially going downhill, Jonathan couldn't contain his frustration. He lashed out, delivering a hard slap across Jason's cheek. 

Shocked by the sudden blow, Jason couldn't comprehend why his father had struck him. His mother said that the project came from a different company unrelated to the Grey family, which had made Jonathan very arrogant before. But witnessing his father's actions, Jason realized that Aiden's words were true.

Yet, despite the pain, Jason harbored no remorse for his actions. Instead, his jealousy intensified. Why did Aiden have everything – wealth, luxury, and a handsome father, while he didn't even get a new model remote car he asked his father a week ago. Bitterness welled up in his heart.

He placed blame squarely on Aiden. If only Aiden weren't rich, if only his father weren't powerful, would his own father still treat him this way?

Eleanor was stunned by the slap, rushing to her son's side to comfort him. "Why did you hit him?" she shouted at her husband, her voice filled with disbelief and anger.

"Do you even know what your son has done? He injured the young master of Grey. We're going to lose everything because of your foolish son," Jonathan scolded his wife for failing to instill proper manners in their child.

"That boy started the fight first. Why are you blaming our son?" Eleanor fired back at her husband, her own frustration rising.

"Don't think I haven't heard anything from the Academy. Your son was the one who called him motherless, even though that boy had intended not to fight," Jonathan retorted, his tone harsh and accusatory.

"What's wrong with that? Isn't it true?" Eleanor replied sharply, her tone reflecting her defiance.