"Now that Arthur's been forced out, I bet the next ones to go will be the Gray family's three daughters. After all, daughters have inheritance rights too." "They took him in out of kindness, and he had his eyes on their entire fortune! Did a dog eat his conscience?" Zac's face turned paler by the second. Each accusation felt like a sharp knife, stabbing straight into his heart. Worse yet, several classmates had already raised their phones, recording everything. In the end, Zac clutched his chest, his face contorted in pain, and collapsed. No one could tell if he was faking or if he had really passed out from anger. But the moment he hit the ground, the crowd scattered like startled birds, not wanting to get involved. Some students rushed to the infirmary and returned with the school nurse. Chaos erupted at the scene. Meanwhile, Arthur had already pulled Ashley away from the crowd. Once they were at a safe distance, he couldn't help but give her a big thumbs-up. Arthur said sincerely, "Ashley, thank you for helping me." She had stood up for him countless times—every single time, without hesitation. Ashley lifted her chin proudly, sneaking a glance at Arthur. "So, how do you plan to thank me?" Arthur was more than half a head taller than her, and standing this close, he could take in every detail of her expression. Ashley stood before him, small but full of attitude, tilting her chin up in defiance. Her bright, mischievous eyes sparkled like they had a mind of their own, full of energy and expression. And no matter how hard she tried to suppress it, the corners of her soft pink lips kept curling up—a playful, irresistible touch of charm. Ashley was always different when she was with him. Seeing her like this made something stir in Arthur’s heart. Without thinking, he leaned down and pressed a light kiss to her soft cheek. So soft. So smooth. So delicate. Truthfully, Arthur had wanted to kiss her lips. But he didn't dare. Ashley froze. Her eyes widened in disbelief, her entire body tensing up as if paralyzed.Arthur had expected her to push him away, but when no resistance came, he lingered just a second longer, savoring the unexpected softness before finally pulling back. Ashley remained rooted to the spot, eyes round as saucers, body stiff like a statue. Arthur couldn't hold back his laughter. With a mischievous smirk, he teased, "How about that as a thank-you?" Ashley snapped out of her daze. Instantly, her face turned red—visibly, unmistakably red. Not just her face. Her ears, her neck, even the tips of her fingers—everything was burning red. Her already pink lips flushed an even deeper shade. "You—!" Ashley was both mortified and furious, but she couldn't even find the words to scold him. She bit her lip, cheeks blazing, before finally giving up. Covering her face with both hands, she spun around and bolted. Behind her, Arthur burst into laughter. "Hahahahahaha!" Hearing that, Ashley stumbled but didn't dare stop, running even faster. Arthur was in a great mood. Today was a fantastic day. Summer break was just around the corner. Ever since Arthur had stolen that kiss, their relationship had noticeably changed. One afternoon, Ashley came looking for him. Her face was flushed pink, and she hesitated, as if struggling to get the words out. Arthur raised an eyebrow. "What’s up?" His question only made Ashley’s face turn even redder. She hesitated for a long while before finally mustering the courage to ask, "Break’s almost here... do you... do you want to stay at my house?" Her voice got smaller and smaller, until the last few words were barely audible. Their relationship had always been a fake one, but now, she was suddenly asking him to come home with her. To meet her family. Ashley nearly choked on her own words. Arthur saw right through her nervous little thoughts. Clearing his throat to hide his grin, he deliberately asked, "Huh? Meeting the parents already? Isn’t this a little too fast for us?"As expected, Ashley's face instantly turned crimson. She stammered, "W-Who said anything about meeting my parents?!" "Aren't your parents home? If I stay at your place, wouldn’t that technically mean we’re—" living together. Before Arthur could even finish, Ashley shot up on her tiptoes and slapped a hand over his mouth, silencing him immediately. Her face burned with embarrassment and frustration, but she had no idea how to argue back. Arthur had left the Gray family. She was just worried he had nowhere to go for the summer, so she invited him to stay at the Gibson residence. But she didn’t want to say it outright. She didn’t want to hurt his pride. Arthur chuckled, his eyes full of warmth. Gently, he pulled her soft little hand away. "Don’t worry, I won’t be homeless." Ashley frowned slightly. "But where will you go? The school’s closed for break..."