Arthur raised his brows in mock surprise, his voice loud and clear for everyone to hear. "Zac, so this was your plan all along?" Zac froze, his expression stiffening. "W-What plan?" His eyes darted around nervously as he frantically shot Arthur a look—he had whispered that offer in secret. No matter how shameless Arthur was, he wouldn’t actually expose it in front of everyone… right? But Arthur blinked innocently and repeated, word for word, what Zac had whispered. "You just told me that if I apologized to you, admitted that everything was my fault, and helped you save face, you’d pay for everything so I wouldn’t embarrass myself. Isn’t that what you said?" The entire store erupted in shock. Gasps and murmurs filled the air as people turned to Zac with wide eyes. "Did… Did Zac really say that?" "He was trying to humiliate Arthur?!" Zac nearly coughed up blood on the spot. His vision went dark for a second—he actually felt lightheaded from anger. But no one here would pity him if he fainted, so he forced himself to stay upright. No, he had to be the one to see Arthur humiliated today. Breathing heavily, Zac managed to steady himself. "Fine! Arthur, you’ll regret this!" Zac spat. "I’m done caring about you! But if you let a girl pay for you, just be prepared for the Gray family to never accept you again!" Arthur smirked. "The Gray family? You can keep it for yourself." Zac blinked. "What…?" Arthur had already lost interest in him. The cashier, meanwhile, had finished preparing the payment machine. "Mr. Gray, please enter your PIN," she said hesitantly, pushing the device toward him.All eyes locked onto the small machine in Arthur’s hands. They had to know if Arthur was bluffing, or did he really have the money? Ashley, on the other hand, was near panicking. She anxiously tugged on Arthur’s sleeve, her entire back drenched in cold sweat. Just as Arthur was about to take the payment machine, Ashley blurted out, "Arthur, I actually don’t like those outfits anymore! You don’t need to buy them for me!" Zac burst out laughing. "Ashley, you’re really something! He was acting so confident, and you’re already panicking for him?" Arthur glanced at Ashley and immediately understood—she was afraid he wouldn’t be able to pay and would embarrass himself. His chest warmed slightly at her concern. He patted her hand reassuringly. "Don’t worry," he said. "I know what I’m doing. You were staring at those outfits for a long time. You must really like them. Only you can pull them off." Ashley froze. She really had admired those clothes when they entered the store, but because she wanted to buy Arthur’s clothes, she couldn’t afford them herself. She hadn’t even realized he noticed. Something unfamiliar stirred in her heart. Meanwhile, the women in the crowd couldn’t hold back their excitement. "This Arthur might be an outcast, but damn, he’s actually kind of sweet?" "He just noticed what his girl liked and bought it for her? That’s the dream!" "He might not be the richest, but most guys don’t even have this level of awareness." "I get it now! No wonder that girl picked him!" Tia stood stiffly among the murmuring crowd, her fingers clenched tightly. Zac never once cared about what she liked. Whenever they went shopping, it was always about his preferences. If she wanted something, she had to beg or endure his impatience. Compared to Arthur…She gritted her teeth. No. She made the right choice. She had Zac. He had a secure place in the Gray family. No matter how attentive Arthur was, he had nothing. She convinced herself that was the truth. Zac, meanwhile, was burning with irritation. Arthur was nothing, and yet these idiots were looking at him like some kind of prince charming. He scoffed. "Arthur, those outfits cost a fortune. You’re acting like you can afford it. What’s your plan? Make Ashley cover for you?" Arthur ignored him and handed his card to the cashier. The cashier hesitated, glancing at Ashley. Ashley looked just as anxious. She had wanted to secretly pay for him, but with so many people watching, there was no way to do it discreetly. Zac sneered. "You’re really dragging this out, huh? The moment they swipe your card, your little show will be over. You think you can afford—" The cashier pressed the final button. A robotic voice echoed through the store. "Transaction complete. Seven hundred thousand dollars has been successfully paid." The store fell into dead silence. "What?!" The crowd exploded. "He actually paid?!" "That was his card, right?" "If he didn’t have money, how did he know the PIN!" "He was never broke?!" "Then what the hell has Zac been on about this whole time?!"Zac, frozen in place, looked like he had been hit by a truck. Arthur turned to face him, completely calm. "Zac," he said slowly, "you were saying something earlier. What was it?" Zac’s face twisted. No. No, no, no. This wasn’t how this was supposed to go. He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his palms. "You’re lying!" he suddenly shouted, his eyes wild. "You stole that money, didn’t you?! Or robbed someone?! How the hell does someone like you have that much cash?!" He grabbed Arthur’s collar, his entire body trembling. "Say it! Say it!"