Chapter 46
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Brandon trailed behind Ashton like a shadow, holding a cup of bubble tea in his hand. He offered it to Briar with a polite nod. “Miss Jennings, Mr. Wade picked this up for you on his way.”
Criar rolled her eyes, biting back a laugh.
She wasn’t one to turn down a kind gesture, so she took the cup and muttered a quick “Thanks.”
Ashton glanced at his watch, as if waiting for someone. Noticing Briar hadn’t touched the drink, he nudged her gently. “Give it a try. How’s it taste?”
Briar lowered her gaze, poked the straw into the cup, and took a sip. The chilled bubble tea was refreshingly sweet, with chewy, bouncy pearls that hit all the right spots. “It’s really good,” she said, her voice softening.
“Glad you like it,” Ashton replied, a satisfied nod accompanying his words. Just then, hurried footsteps echoed nearby. His gaze shifted from Briar’s lips, still damp with bubble tea, to the direction of the sound–just in time to see Frank barreling toward them. The warm smile on Ashton’s face vanished, replaced by a steely glare.
Frank, seeing Ashton’s intense stare, stumbled, almost falling. He even started mentally preparing for how he’d call an ambulance after Ashton inevitably beat him up. Trembling, he stood before Ashton and managed a shaky greeting. “Ashton…”
Ashton didn’t respond, just let out a cold huff before turning to Briar. “Let’s go.”
Frank shot a desperate glance at Brandon, hoping for a hint, but Brandon kept his eyes fixed straight ahead, giving nothing away.
Briar assumed Ashton was taking her to the infirmary, but instead, he led her straight to the principal’s office.
Briar sat on the sofa in the principal’s office, sipping her boba tea and enjoying the air conditioning. She watched, utterly bewildered, as Marvin and Frank stared awkwardly at each other. Ashton sat nearby, overseeing Frank as he recounted the events.
Frank hadn’t been there when it all went down, but that didn’t stop him from painting a version of events that would play well with Ashton. He emphasized the parts Ashton would want to hear and glossed over the rest. Even so, the general outline of the incident was clear enough.
When Arlene, the advisor, got Marvin’s call and rushed over with Lydia, Mia, and Abbie in tow, the atmosphere in the office hit her like a wall.
Arlene didn’t recognize Ashton or Briar, but she knew Frank, the department heartthrob, and Principal Marvin. She frowned, puzzled–Marvin rarely got involved in petty student squabbles. “Mr. Goodwin, I’ve brought them,” she said cautiously.
Lydia, Mia, and Abbie froze, their confusion deepening when they saw Frank looking defeated.
Their eyes darted to the man sitting next to Briar on the sofa. Even if they didn’t know who he was, the air around him screamed power and authority. His presence was impossible to ignore.
Mia and Abbie exchanged uneasy glances. The haughty confidence they’d wielded against Briar earlier evaporated, replaced by a sinking feeling.
The two of them didn’t know Ashton, but his aura alone was enough to rattle them. Lydia, however, recognized Shoneport’s infamous titan.
Her heart sank as a terrifying thought hit her. ‘Why is he here? And why is he sitting next to Briar?
‘Could it be… that Briar had Ashton backing her?‘
Her face paled at the realization.
10.49
Mon, 11 Aug
Chapter 46
If that was true, she was in deep trouble.
The Ponce family was a second–tier player in Shoneport, nowhere near the league of the Wade family. If she’d crossed Ashton by targeting Briar, her father would have her head.
Ignoring Marvin, Lydia, still wincing from her sore back, gave Ashton a shaky bow. “Mr. Wade…”
Ashton didn’t even spare her a glance. He turned to Marvin and gave a subtle nod, signaling that everyone was present and it was time to get on with it.
Marvin rubbed his temples, already feeling a headache coming on. He’d known Ashton’s protégé wouldn’t be a wallflower, but half a day in and she was already stirring up trouble? That must have broken some record. But, according to Ashton, his girl was the one who’d been wronged.
