After a long moment, Richie finally realized—he wasn’t Arthur’s match at all. He couldn’t understand it. How had Arthur become so strong in just a few days? If he had this kind of skill before, he wouldn’t have been bullied so badly all these years. Richie couldn’t take it anymore. He quickly surrendered. “Stop! Stop! I give up! Don’t hit me anymore!” Ashley stared at Arthur, still pinning Richie to the ground. She had always seen him as quiet and weak. But now… he was completely different. Watching him lose his temper for her, stepping in to protect her without hesitation, an unfamiliar warmth spread through her chest. But as she saw the bruises forming on Richie’s face, she worried Arthur might get into trouble. She quickly stepped forward and grabbed his arm. “Arthur, that’s enough.” Her voice was softer than she had ever realized. Hearing Ashley’s words, Arthur finally stopped. Richie scrambled to his feet, staggering backward several steps. Then he spat out a mouthful of blood and glared at Arthur. Finally free, Richie dropped his pitiful act—his desperation from moments ago completely gone. “You little punk, how dare you hit me?! Just you wait! If I don’t make sure you end up behind bars, then I’m not Richie Xander!” Arthur looked at him lazily, completely unbothered. “Go ahead. Call the cops. You’ve bullied me for years, and now you’re even trying to attack Ashley. I was just defending her. We’ll both end up in jail—at least we can be cellmates.” The moment the word "jail" was mentioned, Ashley instinctively tightened her grip on Arthur’s arm. Arthur felt her tension and gently patted her hand to reassure her.Richie also hesitated. Arthur might not be favored in the Gray family, but he was still John Gray’s biological son. The family had always turned a blind eye to schoolyard fights, but if legal trouble was involved, it would bring shame to the Gray family. And no matter how powerful the Xander family had become, they couldn’t afford to provoke the Grays. Richie gritted his teeth and huffed. “Arthur, you better not fall into my hands someday.” Arthur casually flexed his fist. “I’ll be waiting.” Seeing him raise his fist again, Richie flinched. Forgetting about saving face, he turned and ran, limping as he fled. Arthur was crazy. Completely insane. Once Richie was gone, Ashley quickly grabbed Arthur’s hand, turning it over and examining it from every angle. “Are you hurt?” she asked, worried. Arthur’s knuckles were slightly red from punching Richie, but to him, it was nothing. He let her hold his hand, watching as her soft fingers carefully checked for any injuries. “I’m fine. If anyone dares to bother you again, just call me—I’ll be there right away.” Ashley looked up, startled by the certainty in his voice. Without thinking, she asked, “Aren’t you afraid of making an enemy out of Richie because of me?” Her gaze locked onto Arthur’s, searching his face for hesitation. Arthur scoffed. “Richie and I were already enemies. What’s a little more hatred?” Then he looked at her seriously and added, “Ashley, I know you can fight, but you’re still a girl. Men are naturally stronger—if you ever find yourself in danger, don’t try to be brave. Run if you can. Keep yourself safe first, then call me. No matter what, don’t get hurt. Understand?” His voice softened, wanting her to take his words to heart. Ashley stared at him, her vision suddenly blurring. Her family had always told her to be fearless, to charge forward no matter what. That was what it meant to be a child of the Gibson family. But this was the first time someone had told her—if there was danger, she should run, she should protect herself first. For the first time, someone was telling her not to get hurt. The feeling of being cared for, of being protected, was… nice. Arthur saw her eyes turning red and panicked. “Ashley, what’s wrong?” He immediately started checking her over. “Did Richie hurt you? Where? Tell me!” Ashley quickly wiped her eyes and flashed him a bright smile. “I’m fine. You got here in time. He didn’t touch me.” “Really?” Arthur was still skeptical.