Zac’s furious, almost deranged expression was nothing like the composed front he had put on earlier. The moment the words left his mouth, the crowd erupted. People had already felt deceived and played by him, and now, they couldn’t be bothered to hold back, regardless of the fact that he was the Gray family’s favored adopted son. “You think just because you’re broke, everyone else has to be broke too? Some people actually work hard for their money!” “Wow, there really is no shortage of clowns in this world. What a waste of my time.” “Finally showing your true colors, huh? After all that fake sweet talk, why not go into acting?” “I can’t believe I actually thought Arthur was being kept. Turns out it was just Zac’s little setup.” “You really thought we’d all be this easy to fool?” “Trying to use us like we’re brainless bystanders? What a joke.” The crowd’s words grew harsher by the second. Zac had never been humiliated like this before. Back when he was still struggling, before entering the Gray family, he had heard plenty of nasty remarks. But ever since becoming their adopted son, he had mastered the tricks his mother taught him, successfully stealing all the attention and love meant for Arthur. Over the years, he had grown used to being pampered, arrogant, and untouchable. When had he ever suffered this kind of public humiliation? The more he listened, the more unbearable it became. His hands shook with rage, his entire body trembling uncontrollably. Finally, he snapped. He turned on the crowd, shouting at the top of his lungs. “You bunch of broke nobodies! How dare you talk to me like this?! You think you can just say whatever you want? I’ll have my father throw all of you in jail! I’m the Gray family’s most beloved son! You really think you can get away with this? My dad will ruin you all!” The moment he said that, the crowd lost it. Nowadays, people believed in equality. And among them were many rebellious young people who despised the arrogance of the wealthy. There was no way they would let him get away with this. In an instant, the situation turned into a full-blown public outrage. People got so riled up that some even spat in Zac’s face, their fury so intense that even the Fraser family standing beside him wasn’t spared. Martin, who had lived decades of his life, had never felt the urge to slap himself as much as he did in that moment. What had he done to deserve this? Had his brain been crushed in a door? Why had he chosen Zac? He desperately wanted to take his wife and daughter and leave, but there were too many people, and more were gathering by the second. There was no way out. Meanwhile, Arthur’s clothes had already been packed up. He watched the chaos for a moment, then lost interest. Without another word, he grabbed Ashley’s hand and led her out of the crowd. Since they weren’t the target of the mob’s anger, leaving was easy. By the time they had walked quite a distance away from the store, Ashley was still dazed. Arthur waved a hand in front of her face. “Hey, snap out of it.” Ashley finally turned to him, her expression still blank. “You… how do you have so much money?” Arthur burst out laughing. She was just now thinking about that? He looked at her adorable, dumbfounded expression and couldn’t help reaching out to tap her forehead. “I earned it.” Ashley rubbed the spot where he had tapped her and dumbly replied, “Oh…” Arthur couldn’t hold it in anymore. He roared with laughter. She was way too cute! Where was the fierce, sharp-tongued girl from earlier? Right now, she looked like a clueless little bunny. Ashley quickly realized her own reaction was embarrassing. She pouted. “Stop laughing.” Arthur laughed even harder.Ashley’s face turned bright red in frustration. She punched his chest lightly. “If you keep laughing, I won’t talk to you anymore!” Hearing that, Arthur immediately stopped. “Okay, okay, I’ll stop. Don’t be mad.” Ashley huffed, pretending to be annoyed, but the way her lips curled upward completely betrayed her. Arthur held up the shopping bags. “You haven’t even tried these on yet. Want to see if they fit?” He had noticed how familiar Ashley was with the store’s staff, which meant she was a frequent customer. The salesgirl had likely picked the right sizes for her, but earlier, with all those people around, Arthur didn’t want anyone else seeing her in those beautiful outfits. Now, it was just the two of them. She could try them on for him alone.