The Hidden Billionaire

CHAPTER 6: EDWARD WRIGHT AND GRAY BROOKS

“Mr. Lawson!”

Bryce immediately ran over with a flattering smile.

“You’re finally here!”

King quickly followed behind him like a loyal dog.

“Sir,” King said quickly, “please don’t misunderstand. This shabby guy has been causing trouble here. We were just trying to remove him before you arrived.”

He pointed directly at Thomas.

“We were worried he’d ruin your impression of the school.”

The man ignored him completely.

Instead…

He walked straight toward Thomas.

Step by step.

Then suddenly… He bowed respectfully.

“Sir, I’m sorry for being late.”

The entire place went silent.

Everyone froze.

King’s eyes widened so much they almost popped out.

Bryce’s smile disappeared instantly. Even the teachers behind them looked stunned.

Sir?

Thomas?

King forced out a stiff laugh.

“T-there must be a mistake…”

“There’s no way he could be… Before he finished speaking, the man frowned impatiently.

“What mistake?”

Then he looked at King coldly, and who are you?”

King froze.

The man continued.

“I’ve known Thomas since he was young.”

“How could I possibly mistake him for someone else?”

Dead silence.

Nobody dared to speak anymore. The atmosphere completely changed. Thomas looked at the man curiously.

“So… He glanced around at everyone’s shocked faces.

“You’re the shareholder they were waiting for?”

The man quickly shook his head nervously.

“No, sir.”

Then he smiled respectfully.

“You are.”

The words hit the crowd like thunder.

“What?!”

King almost shouted. His face turned pale instantly. Just minutes ago, he was mocking Thomas like trash.

Now suddenly, Thomas had become the school’s owner? Bryce’s legs almost gave out too. He had just threatened his own boss. Thomas himself frowned slightly.

“Why wasn’t I informed about this?”

The man laughed awkwardly.

“Well… He scratched his head nervously.

“We thought it would be a nice surprise for you, sir.”

The school entrance fell silent. Everyone stared at Thomas.

Just minutes ago, he was the teacher they mocked and looked down on. Now, the man standing beside him had practically confirmed that he owned part of the school.

Nobody knew what to say. Thomas looked around at their stunned faces and smiled faintly.

"So..."

His gaze settled on Bryce.

"You were saying you wanted to fire me?"

Bryce's face twitched.

A second ago, he had been acting like a king. Now sweat was forming on his forehead.

"Haha... Mr. Thomas, there must be some misunderstanding." His attitude changed instantly.

"I was upset and spoke without thinking. I would never fire someone like you." Thomas chuckled. The sound wasn't warm. It made Bryce's stomach sink.

"That's funny."

Thomas slipped his hands into his pockets.

"Because I'm officially firing all of you." The smile disappeared from Bryce's face. The teachers standing behind him froze. King's eyes widened.

"What?"

Bryce forced himself to stay calm.

"You can't do that."

His voice sounded much weaker than before.

"There are other shareholders. You can't just make decisions on your own." Thomas looked at him. Then at King. Then at the group standing behind them.

"Meadow Hall is one of the best schools in the city." He spoke calmly.

"It existed before you came here, and it'll still exist after you're gone." The words hit harder than a slap. Several faces turned pale. Thomas wasn't shouting. He wasn't angry. But somehow that made it worse.

"Don't worry," he continued. "We'll find people who actually care about educating students." Bryce clenched his fists.

King looked like he wanted to argue. But neither of them could think of anything to say. Thomas smiled slightly.

"What are you still standing here for?"

He pointed toward the gate.

"Hurry up and leave before you damage the school's image." The same words Bryce had used on him earlier. The group's faces turned red. Some lowered their heads.

Others looked like they wanted to disappear.

After all, Meadow Hall wasn't an ordinary school. The salary was high. The benefits were excellent. And the connections they made here were worth even more. Losing this job was a huge blow. Thomas didn't waste any more time on them. Instead, he looked toward the side of the courtyard.

Several teachers quickly looked away when they noticed his gaze. They looked nervous.

Some even seemed afraid. Thomas recognized them immediately. Most of them came from ordinary families.

Over the years, King and Bryce had pressured them into taking sides. Many had avoided Thomas because they were scared of losing their jobs. Thomas smiled.

"Relax."

The teachers looked up.

"I'm not interested in settling old scores." A few people visibly relaxed. Thomas continued.

"In fact, I appreciate everyone who stayed and did their job properly." He paused.

"Starting this month, everyone's salary will increase by twenty percent."

Silence.

"What?!"

Several teachers nearly shouted at the same time. They thought they had heard wrong.

A raise?

After everything?

The atmosphere changed instantly. Excitement spread through the crowd.

Some teachers were so happy they almost cheered. Compared to them, Bryce and his group looked like they had swallowed poison. Then an old security guard stepped out from the gatehouse.

He pointed toward Bryce and shouted, "Didn't you hear the boss?"

"What are you still doing here?"

"Move!"

The old man's voice was so loud that several people almost laughed. Thomas couldn't help smiling. The old guard had always been straightforward. He hated people who abused their power. Bryce and King had made life difficult for him more than once.

Now he finally had a chance to return the favor. Bryce's face darkened. Even a security guard was mocking him now. Before leaving, he glared at Thomas.

"You'll regret this."

Then he turned and walked away. King and the others followed behind him like defeated soldiers. The old security guard laughed.

"Good riddance."

Thomas watched them leave and felt a weight lift from his chest. The school wasn't bad. Most people here were decent.

The problem had always been a handful of rotten people at the top.

Just then, two luxury cars pulled up outside the gate. The doors opened.

Edward Wright.

Gray Brooks.

The moment they saw Thomas, their expressions darkened.

Edward smirked.

"Well, well."

"Mr. Thomas."

Gray laughed.

"Looks like you're still alive."

The two boys walked over without a care in the world.

"Did you enjoy the little gift we sent you?" Edward asked. Thomas simply looked at them.

No anger.

No reaction.

That only irritated them more.

"Hey."

Gray snapped his fingers.

"We're talking to you."

At that moment, another voice spoke up.

"That's enough."

Beatrice Paul walked over. Her brows were furrowed as she looked at the two boys.

"You're students."

"Start acting like it."

Thomas glanced at her and felt slightly relieved. Among all the teachers in Meadow Hall, Beatrice was one of the few people who had treated him fairly. She wasn't from a rich family either. She simply hated seeing people bullied. Edward's eyes lit up when he saw her. A grin spread across his face.

"Teacher Beatrice."

He looked her up and down shamelessly.

"You look beautiful today." Beatrice ignored him.

"Stop harassing people."

Edward clicked his tongue.

"I don't like your attitude."

Gray stepped closer with a grin.

"Actually, Teacher Beatrice has a point."

He folded his arms.

"As students, we should study hard." His eyes wandered over her.

"So how about you come to my house and give me private lessons?"

Beatrice's face immediately turned cold.

Before she could reply, Thomas stepped forward.

"You two gave me a gift recently."

Edward and Gray turned toward him. Thomas smiled.

"I've been thinking about how to repay you."

The two boys laughed. Edward shrugged.

"Save your money, Mr. Thomas."

"You can't afford the kind of gifts we like."

"Oh?"

Thomas reached into a folder and pulled out a stack of photographs.

"Then let's start with you."

He handed them directly to Edward. Edward frowned. Then he looked down. His face changed instantly. The smile disappeared.

The color drained from his face.

Gray noticed immediately.

"What is it?"

He leaned over to look. Before he could see clearly.

Bam!