Arrogant words, but no one doubted him.
Now, Boldon Holdings had grown into its own empire, and under Don Kay’s leadership, it had expanded to an even greater magnitude. He was, undeniably, a man who made good on his promises.
In some ways, Asake and his father, Don Kay, were remarkably alike.
Avira lowered her lashes, looking at her hands.
Maybe when this mission ends, I’ll take a long break. I could settle down in one place, play basketball with friends, study, and live as an ordinary student.
After all, I can survive on my own now, without relying on anyone. I can finally do what I want to do, right?
“Avira…”
Her drifting thoughts were abruptly interrupted when someone grabbed her arm.
Before she could react, her back collided with a familiar chest.
Avira blinked in surprise, snapping back to reality, only to see a boy awkwardly scratching his short hair. He quickly apologized and ran off in embarrassment.
“Hmm…”
Turning her face slightly, Avira looked behind her and gave a lazy smile.
“Thanks, Ashton…”
The dappled light of the setting sun filtered through the leaves, falling onto Ashton’s silver hair and casting a soft, golden glow on his angelic face.
“If you don’t watch where you’re going… you’ll bump into someone,” Ashton said gently, his smile as serene as a lake glistening with crystalline ripples.
Avira was reminiscing just now, wasn’t she…?
When someone falls into memories, even if you’re just a step away, it feels like you’re in two separate worlds. In the blink of an eye, they vanish like a snowflake falling into a lake—completely gone without a trace.
“I’m sorry…” Avira murmured, pursing her lips.
“No need…”
Ashton reached out, gently brushing aside her slightly disheveled bangs.
“I was just… worried someone might bump into you.”
To him, strangers didn’t matter.
After all, in his world, the center of everything was always Avira.
Avira blinked, puzzled.
Even if someone bumped into me, I wouldn’t fall over. Ashton worries too much.
When they arrived at the gym, they found it far more crowded than usual.
Outside the gym’s gates, a dense crowd had formed, creating a deafening commotion. The majority of the onlookers were girls, their excited chatter loud and piercing.
“Who are those two? They’re so handsome!”
“Idiot! That’s Vince and Kuti—two of the star players from Sandfield’s basketball team!”
“Eastwest’s basketball team is incredible! First, Sandfield players keep showing up, and now… oh, remember how seeing Orson used to be as rare as snagging tickets to a sold-out concert? But now, we get to see him every day! Watching them train is like heaven!”
The constant chatter swept through the area like a storm, even disturbing the air around them.
“It’s Avira and Ashton!”
An eagle-eyed girl immediately spotted them.
The crowd, which had been packed so tightly that there wasn’t even room to stand, instinctively parted to form a path.
Avira and Ashton, standing at the back, exchanged a puzzled glance before walking together down the newly opened path into the gymnasium.
Inside, the atmosphere was drastically different from the chaos outside—icy calm and fiery tension coexisting uneasily.
Lucas and Asake had not yet arrived.
Orson, as usual, exuded a detached indifference, reclining on a chair with a white towel draped over his eyes. A bottle of mineral water beside him refracted fragments of light like a rainbow, complementing his profile in a way that seemed straight out of a Comic.
George sat silently to one side, gazing thoughtfully at the basketball in his hands.
His blue hair fell smoothly across his forehead, and in the amber hues of the setting sun, he looked as if he’d stepped out of a divine painting. Yet the cold aura surrounding him made it difficult for anyone to approach.
“Avira.”
Noticing her arrival, George glanced up, his gaze as calm as ever.
“You’re here, Avira?”
Orson lifted the edge of his towel slightly, a faint smile curling on his lips as soon as he saw her.
“Someone’s here to see you.”
“Hmm?”
Avira tilted her head in confusion. “Who?”
“Wow, we’ve been completely ignored. Are we that insignificant now, Yue?”
A pleasant voice suddenly rang out.
Avira blinked and followed the voice to its source, her gaze slightly hazy.
A strikingly beautiful boy leaned casually against the wall, one hand in his pocket while the other cradled a basketball.
