Chapter 7

Scarlett narrowed her eyes by a fraction. It seemed she would have to meet the principal in person. Back when the Quinn family brought her back, they hadn't even consulted her before directly enrolling her in this school. But even before she was brought to the Quinn residence, she had already been corresponding with this school's principal through letters. The principal, Bill Hayes, had invited her to attend this high school, offering full tuition exemption and even promising to sponsor her living expenses for three years. At the time, she had declined. She wanted to stay in her small hometown, close to her mother and grandmother, to take care of them. It wasn't until the Quinn family intervened and arranged for her mother and grandmother to move into a nursing home that she could attend this school. The Quinn family thought her admission was entirely under their control—little did they know that whether she attended or not was entirely her decision. If she wanted to stay, no one could drive her away. If she didn't want to attend this school, no one could make her stay. Scarlett didn't intend to waste any more time on pointless people or matters. She grabbed her suitcase and walked away without a backward glance. Jonah opened his mouth, as if wanting to say something, but in the end, he silently closed it again. His gaze lingered on Scarlett's tall, resolute figure, and an inexplicable sense of loss stirred within him. She used to tread carefully around him, always afraid of offending him. But now, she didn't seem to care about him at all. That realization unsettled Jonah deeply, leaving a sour taste in his mouth. "What's wrong, Jonah?" Lily tugged at his sleeve, speaking in a soft, sugary voice. Jonah looked away. "It's nothing." After a moment's pause, he added, "Scarlett's been acting a little strange lately." "I think so too… Could it be that she was shaken because Mom and Dad gave me the Celestial Drop yesterday? This is all my fault then…" Lily lowered her head, her voice filled with remorse. For once, Jonah didn't rush to comfort her. Instead, he frowned slightly. He had forgotten that it had been Scarlett's birthday yesterday, too. They had all been busy preparing lavish gifts for Lily and completely ignored Scarlett. Could Scarlett be reacting this way because she was upset they hadn't prepared anything for her? "Don't overthink it. This isn't your fault," Jonah said stiffly before turning and striding away. Lily felt suffocated, frustrated beyond words. She hadn't expected Scarlett to clear her name so easily today. It seemed to her that the web she had spun was effortlessly ripped apart, and now even Jonah's attitude toward her had changed slightly. Damn Scarlett. Why hadn't she just died by the roadside? Why did she have to come to school and ruin everything? Turning back, Lily immediately put on an apologetic face and said, "I'm so sorry, everyone. This whole mess started because of me. I didn't expect a rumor to cause such a misunderstanding—" Before she could finish, Herbert cut her off, "This isn't your fault. Rumors don't just appear out of thin air. She must have questionable character to have rumors like that spread about her. You're the pride of our school, Lily. Don't blame yourself. Go on back to class now." … Outside the staff quarters, sunlight poured over Scarlett's tall, upright figure. Just as she was about to head upstairs to look for Bill, a playful, clear whistle echoed from above. Looking up, she spotted the same boy she had just seen in the office, illuminated by the warm sunlight. He was wearing the school uniform, but it was casually unbuttoned to the second button, revealing the edge of a white T-shirt underneath—a picture of youthful arrogance and recklessness. "Hey, gorgeous! Come on up! Mr. Hayes is waiting for you in his office!" he shouted. When Scarlett didn't immediately move, Percy grew impatient and bounded downstairs, grabbing her suitcase. "I'll help you with that." Scarlett raised an eyebrow but let go of the handle, allowing him to help. "Percy Stroud?" "Hehe, that's me! We've met before—you probably forgot." "I didn't forget, Mr. Apology." Percy was famous for getting into trouble and writing endless apology letters, often having to read them aloud during school assemblies. The speechless Percy looked defeated. "Well, that killed the mood. I'm talking about when we met at the internet café. You were amazing at gaming." At his reminder, Scarlett recalled meeting him there. To make ends meet, she once boosted accounts at an internet café to earn extra cash and accidentally pulled off a flawless match, causing a stir. Percy had come and insisted on buying her snacks, asking if he could be her lackey. She had, of course, turned him down. She had no interest in having followers. "Hey, Scarlett, why were you living in Jonah's home? What's your relationship with him?" Percy asked as he had been curious about this for a long time. He didn't believe the rumors that Scarlett was a maid at Jonah's house. After all, what kind of maid could play games that well? Besides, what kind of maid would dare talk back to their employer? The scene today had been so satisfying! Jonah had always been the golden boy at school—handsome, smart, adored by teachers and all the female students alike. Wherever he went, he carried himself like he was untouchable. Percy had long been sick of it. Scarlett said calmly, "I was fired." Percy looked at her in disbelief. "You really were a maid at their house? I thought you were some distant relative they were too embarrassed to acknowledge, so they made up the 'maid' story. Rich families love to do that kind of nonsense to maintain appearances." Scarlett lowered her gaze, a look of irony crossing her face. That was the rich and powerful, all right—their appearances were above all else. "Man, with your skills, why the heck would you humble yourself working as a maid? Even if the Quinn family is the richest in Yendale, your gaming income in a week must crush a month's salary there! "And now they fired you and tried to get you kicked out of school. That's so not worth it! Scarlett, why don't you boost my account instead? I'll pay you ten thousand dollars a month, and I'll help you stay in school too!" Scarlett gave him a sidelong glance. "Does that uh… elder who came with you even allow you to play games?" Percy did get called to see the teacher with his guardian for ditching class to play games after all. "Pfft! Elder?" Percy burst out laughing at the strange way Scarlett referred to Xavier. Just then, as they turned a corner, Percy came face to face with Xavier's cold stare. His laughter died a swift death. "Elder… I mean, Uncle Xavier, I brought her!" Percy wanted to bang his head against a wall. This was all Scarlett's fault for making him laugh. He shot Scarlett a slight glare. Xavier calmly raised his well-defined hand and gave Percy a flick on the forehead. Percy hissed in pain, rubbing his head. As Scarlett watched their interaction, she felt a little puzzled. It was Xavier who had sent Percy to fetch her? What? Xavier turned to Scarlett, his voice low and smooth. "Don't refer to me as an elder. I'm not that old. Percy and I just have a bigger generation gap since I'm his grand-uncle—that's all." Percy's eyes widened like saucers. Xavier was explaining himself to Scarlett? What was happening today? He was seriously acting super weird! Could he have taken a liking to Scarlett? Even if Scarlett was rather pretty, that was just not likely. He never seemed interested in women. Moreover, the age gap between them was massive. There was no way Xavier would go for someone this young, right? Percy's mind spun wildly with guesses. As Scarlett stared at Xavier, she felt a strange sense of familiarity, but she couldn't recall when they had ever met. She asked, "Have we met?" Xavier's gaze darkened slightly, but he didn't answer her question. At that moment, Bill stepped out of the nearby room with a kind smile. "Don't just stand there. Come on in, everyone."