Thea is my best friend! Are you disrespecting me by insulting her at my birthday party? There are surveillance cameras here; I can easily check the footage to see who did it. This is your last chance to apologize!" Yuna glared at the guests, her voice a threat.

Those who had spoken earlier were terrified.

Thump!

One man, a corporation chairman worth hundreds of millions, couldn't bear the pressure. He knelt, his head on the floor—a big shot outside, now a lowly servant. Thea was shocked. James and Yuna each held one of her hands. She looked from Yuna to James, confusion etched on her beautiful face. "Is it that ghost-masked man again?" she wondered.

Another person knelt. Alex, Bryan, and Yuna came from influential Capital families; Alex alone could bankrupt the Xaviers. The consequences of their combined power were immense.

Those who had insulted Thea followed suit, kneeling one after another. Thump! Thump! Within moments, twenty people were on their knees. Tommy, who had also mocked Thea, panicked, then calmed down. He pointed at the kneeling crowd, even those more influential than the Callahans, and shouted, "How dare you insult the Callahans?"

James kicked him in the knee.

Thump!

Tommy fell. "What are you doing?" he sputtered, furious.

"Weren't you the most vicious?" James said coldly. "I-I'm Thea's cousin…"

James kicked him again before Tommy finished. He groaned, falling to the ground.

James then pointed at Megan, who trembled, clinging to Colson. Horrified, she whispered, "D-dear."

"Are you trying to drag down the Oswalds? Kneel!" Colson slapped her.

Megan cried. Seeing Lex's furious expression, she trembled and knelt.

Over thirty people were now kneeling. Only Luke remained standing, weighing the consequences. Kneeling would ruin the Bertrands' reputation, yet defying Alex, Bryan, and Yuna was impossible. He knelt. His classmates were stunned. "The class monitor knelt? To Thea? What's her background?"

The birthday party had become a kneeling ceremony. Thea was frozen, panicked, unsure how to react.

Alex glared at Lex, pointing. "Did you insult her too?"

Lex trembled. He looked at Thea, displeasure in his eyes. "Thea, do you want me to kneel too?"

Thea frantically replied, "G-grandpa, no! You can't kneel. You mustn't!"