Chapter 6
The compensation from Raina’s end was quickly deposited into my account. I checked my balance with glee. Sure, the Hunter family was loaded, but nothing beat the thrill of having money that was truly my own.
I still had to make my own money. Otherwise, knowing how clueless Shane was, I wouldn’t be surprised if he handed the entire family property over to Camila someday.
One thing was for sure–Kane must have issued an order, because Camila still had no clue about the Hunter family’s true financial situation.
A bank card slid across the table as Dennis sat down opposite me.
I blinked at him and asked, “For me?”
He looked awkward, like a child’s clumsy attempt at reconciliation.
“Drop your act. Just take it.” He looked around awkwardly, his tone still gruff.
He added, “Weren’t you always the one snatching my pocket money?”
I didn’t even know how to retort.
Low how
This guy shot up to nearly six feet over summer break, but that sulking expression was still the same old Dennis I knew.
Dennis said, “I heard about what happened to you and Raina. Even though Kane is capable, your family’s still broke. And with Shane blowing money left and right, there’s no way your life can compare to ours.”
I thought about all those sheep back home and nodded.
AS
“Well, if you’re short on cash, just ask me. I earned the money myself,” he added.
Just then, Camila entered the lecture hall with her gang, causing quite a commotion. Dennis shot them an irritated glance, tossed out a curt remark, and stood up to leave.
“Dennis, why didn’t you tell me you were coming?” Camila feigned delight as she hurried over, deliberately blocking Dennis’s path.
“I’m not here for you,” Dennis said curtly, shoving his hands into his pockets as he tried to walk around Camila.
Camila glanced at me and lowered her eyes. “Dennis, if I’ve done something to upset you, please tell me…”
Well, it was the same old damsel–in–distress routine.
I couldn’t help but scoff inwardly. It seemed that playing the damsel in distress was the only trick Camila had to make others want to protect her.
However, Dennis was the one I practically raised under my strict guidance. He was outstanding in every way and absolutely unmatched at spotting scheming girls. In fact, the little trick of Camila’s was the very first lesson I ever taught Dennis.
Sadly, Camila picked the wrong target.
Right on cue, Dennis’s eyes turned innocent. “Mial, what are you talking about? You always hang out with Shane. Clearly, you don’t like me. So I’ve been staying out of your way. Wouldn’t want to bother you.”
Whispers rippled through the crowd as the tide of opinion shifted abruptly. Camila froze, clearly caught off guard.
Dennis upped the ante. His slender frame and fair skin made him look more innocent as he blinked those innocent eyes.
He added, “At home, you never even look my way. But the moment we’re at school, you suddenly want to act close to me? How come?”
He sighed, still looking pitiful. “Well, I get it. You and Shane have nearly twenty years together. I’m just a guy who shares your blood, and
that’s all.”
I pressed my lips together to stifle a laugh. He and Camila were truly siblings cut from the same cloth. He was more dramatic than Camila when it came to acting.
Camila stood frozen by his barrage of questions, while the surrounding classmates’s expressions turned noticeably.
1/3
As the Dyson family’s true heir, Dennis’s innocence and solid reputation–despite his usual aloofness–easily won people over compared to Camila’s constant theatrics. Naturally, the crowd took Dennis’s side in any dispute.
Damn, this felt good.
Dennis let out an exaggerated sigh. “Well, if there’s nothing else, I’ll be going now.”
As the crowd’s attention shifted with Dennis’s departure, Camila’s tears had already dried. She shot me a look of unconcealed
resentment.
I gave her a casual smile, tapped the bank card twice on the table, and then made a show of tucking it into my bag right under her nose.
She wanted to challenge me? Fine by me.
Melissa rushed back to the office to handle a project right after class, while Raina hadn’t shown up for days due to family matters.
In the dorm room, only Camila and I remained.
I wasn’t keen on staying with her alone. Grabbing my book, I headed for the door.
Camila suddenly called out, “Ashley.”
Camila
I stopped in my tracks. “Yeah?”
After a brief pause, she conjured up an angelic smile. “Honestly, I think you’re really nice. I’ve always wanted to be friends with you. It’s just because of Raina-”
“I don’t want to be friends with you.” I cut her off bluntly, my face blank. “Spare me the act. I can tell exactly how much you despise me.”
A tense silence hung in the air.
Camila suddenly burst into a mocking laugh, her eyes full of derision. “Ashley, don’t tell me you still think you’re a precious heiress?”
I looked at her and asked calmly, “What are you trying to say?”
Camila sneered, “So what if Kane is your brother? So what if he takes your side? He’s just afraid you’ll leave the Hunter family. Do you really think they’d dote on a newly accepted sister?
“And what if Dennis is nice to you? Can he just hand over the Dyson family to you? Don’t even think about it.”
Camila’s expression twisted out of control, and all pretense of her usual timid act was gone. Seeing her like this, I couldn’t help but find it ridiculous.
Camila demanded, “Ashley, what’s so funny?”
“You just don’t know how to appreciate your blessings,” I replied with a sigh and warned her, “Why so hostile? Are you not enjoying your time with the Dysons?”
That line struck a raw nerve–Camila’s composure shattered, her face twisting into something ugly.
I nodded knowingly. “So Bryan doesn’t dote on you? His mistress gives you trouble at every turn? You and Dennis just aren’t on the same page, huh?”
Camila snapped, “You-”
I let out a soft chuckle, gazing at Camila with a hint of pity in my eyes. “You know, the choice was yours to make back then, and you said you’d never regret it.
“Let’s face it, the Dysons are cold–hearted to the core. They are sophisticated egoists. You resent Dennis for being close to me, but had you grown up with him instead, you two would’ve been at each other’s throats long ago.”
“I don’t regret it,” Camila suddenly snapped, violently sweeping all the cosmetics off the table. Her voice was shrill and piercing–all pretense of the Dyson family’s refined heiress gone.
“Then I hope you’ll never regret it,” I said with a faint smirk and stepped around the scattered wreckage on the floor.
The moment the door shut, another glass bottle shattered inside.
