“Uncle Xavier, weren’t you in a virtual meeting?
Why are you out here?” Percy asked nervously.
One look at his guilty face, and Xavier knew he had gotten himself into trouble again.
Bill had hinted that Percy had been acting out lately.
Apparently, every week during the school’s flag-raising ceremony, Percy managed to make an appearance.
It was something that Xavier, an alumnus of the same school, knew all too well.
Showing up at the ceremony like that was never a good sign.
It had been a long-standing tradition.
His face darkened.
He strode over and grabbed the apology letter from Scarlett’s hand, eyes sweeping over the page.
In a flash, the calm in his gaze turned into a brewing storm.
“Percy!” Percy flinched, then bolted like a spooked rabbit.
“Edmund!” Xavier snapped.
Scarlett didn’t even notice where Edmund came from.
In a blur, Percy had been hauled back like a sack of potatoes.
“This time it wasn’t my fault, I swear!” Percy whined.
“It was Jonah.
He started a rumor about me at school.
I just lost it and hit him!
I’m telling the truth!
I didn’t do anything wrong this time…” He looked so pitiful that even Scarlett felt a bit bad for him.
He was clearly terrified of Xavier.
She spoke up, “Mr.
Stroud, Jonah really did start the rumor.
The homeroom teacher only made Percy write the apology letter because he didn’t want him to offend the Quinn family.” Percy nodded so hard it looked like his head might fall off.
He stared up at Xavier with wide, hopeful eyes.
However, Xavier’s face remained cold, a storm lingering in his eyes and furrowed brows.
His gaze locked onto Percy like a predator.
If Scarlett hadn’t spoken up, he would’ve definitely gotten a beating.
“You remember what I told you,” Xavier said, voice low and dangerous.
“As long as you’re still a student, you’re just a regular nobody in Yendale.
What did Mr.
Quinn say that made you throw punches?” Percy wiped his tears.
“He said I was dating Scarlett.
And… and then he said we…” He couldn’t even bring himself to say it at first.
Then, with a sharp breath and a resigned look, he muttered, “He said we’d slept together.” The temperature in the room plummeted.
Xavier’s expression turned deadly, a cold light flashing through his eyes.
Even Scarlett instinctively took a step back.
This man was terrifying.
“Uncle Xavier, I won’t hit anyone again, I swear.
I messed up, I get it…” Percy trembled.
He kept his head down, not daring to look at Xavier’s face.
He knew the man was furious.
The last time Xavier got this mad, some noble family in the capital collapsed overnight.
Then Xavier spoke, his voice echoing through the room like ice shattering.
“You didn’t mess up.
If this ever happens again, hit him harder.” Percy’s head snapped up.
“Huh?” Did he hear that right?
Was Xavier taking his side?
He blinked, unsure if this was some kind of trap.
“So… about the apology letter… do I still need to write it?” Xavier picked up his phone, his expression unreadable as he typed something.
Moments later, he said, “No.
You’re done.” Percy broke into a wide grin.
Just like that, he knew it was handled.
This was the first time in his three years of high school that Xavier had stepped in for him.
He puffed out his chest a little, clearly proud.
Scarlett could already sense something fishy going on, though.
She couldn’t help but wonder.
If Percy didn’t turn in an apology, how exactly would this all blow over?
What she didn’t know was, over at the Quinn family home, Jonathan was just about to get a call from Donald.