"And you, when you couldn’t cozy up to Mr. Maris, you just picked any nobody to be your boyfriend. Ashley, have you really fallen this low during your family’s decline?" Megan tightened her grip on Maris’ arm as she spoke, "Thank goodness Mr. Maris never agreed to your engagement. Imagine, your taste has sunk this low! If Mr. Maris had been engaged to you, he would have regretted it to death!" Maris seemed to very much agree with Megan. He immediately wrapped his arm around Megan's waist, "Megan is right, Ashley. Even if I didn't want you, did you have to stoop so low?" He glanced disdainfully at Arthur again, his meaning clear. At this point, Ashley panicked, fearful that Arthur might misunderstand. Her face flushed with anger, "Who said I was going to get engaged to Maris! The Gibson family has a long history in politics; we wouldn't stoop so low as to suck up to you!" After speaking, she quickly turned to Arthur, "Arthur, don’t listen to him! It was just that my dad was framed, the Gibson family fell apart, and dad’s friends wanted to set me and my sister up in arranged marriages." Then, Ashley earnestly added, "Arthur, I swear, I don’t like him, I've never had any contact with him! And I never agreed to that marriage!" Ashley was emphatically firm, worried Arthur might misunderstand. This was the first time Arthur had heard about the Gibson family’s political background. She had previously been reluctant to bring up the Gibson family, likely because of this arranged marriage. Maris watched Ashley in disbelief. This defiant, arrogant girl was famously known for her bad temper in Seacity. If it hadn’t been for her temper, he would have agreed to the marriage just based on her looks. What magic does this kid have that makes Ashley care so much about him? To the point of publicly demeaning me! Her family had fallen to such a degree, yet she dared to offend him for some pretty boy! Maris took another look at Arthur. Seeing Ashley care about Arthur stirred a hint of jealousy in him. Seeing Ashley almost on the verge of tears, Arthur quickly soothed her. "Ashley, don’t worry, I believe you!" Arthur was well aware of the good she did for him. She was like a wild horse that had been tamed. For Arthur, she had voluntarily learned cooking and tirelessly took care of his every need.Arthur saw all her efforts. Hearing his words, Ashley finally relaxed a little. She clung to Arthur's hand even tighter, as if afraid he might run off. "Oh, so you’re actually serious about him?" Megan said incredulously, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "What’s so great about him? Ashley, you’re so beautiful. Even without the Gibson family's backing, you could find a better match. There’s no need to degrade yourself." Maris’ tone was dismissive. Megan, hearing Maris compliment Ashley’s beauty, immediately felt displeased. She glared at Maris and said flirtatiously, "Am I not prettier than her?" Realizing his slip, Maris quickly corrected, "Her? How can she compare to you? You're my princess!" The two of them were just unbearable. Arthur snapped, "Step aside, mutt! Don’t bite off more than you can chew, have you had enough?" "What!" Maris and Megan screamed in disbelief upon hearing Arthur's comment. The commotion had already drawn the attention of many nearby, and their screams now captured everyone's focus. Arthur's statement had been loud enough for everyone to hear clearly. The crowd immediately began to buzz with speculation. "Who is this guy, daring to talk to Mr. Maris and Ms. Megan like that?" "Mr. Maris's father is a city official here in Seacity! And Ms. Megan is a leading actress! Most people are deferential to them, but he doesn’t seem afraid at all to speak to them like that." "He looks unfamiliar; I've never seen him before." "Isn’t that Ashley next to him? She’s back?" "I hadn’t heard any news about her return. Is that man with her?" "I've never seen him before; he’s not from our Seacity circles, is he?" "I haven’t seen him either. Maybe he’s from some small place?""Could he be some big shot from elsewhere? Look at his demeanor; he doesn’t look like an ordinary person." "He must be from some small place; otherwise, why would he lack such tact?" "If he were from Seacity, how could he dare to offend Mr. Maris and Ms. Megan?"