Chapter 9 Suspicion

If he had known that there was $140,000 in cash in Dwayne's black plastic bag, he probably wouldn't have said anything... Paul and Yvonne were both secretly angry, but they were still amazed when they looked back and saw the table filled with expensive dishes. Even Paul, who came from a wealthy family, had never tasted many of the specialty dishes at The Copper Tree. One example was the seafood paella at the center of the dining table, which happened to be the most expensive dish in the restaurant. Although he had heard of it before, he had never actually tried it. Smelling the delicious aroma coming from the dining table, Yvonne couldn't help but swallow and ask, "Paul, how did they suddenly come up with so much money? Isn't Ashton known as a poor student in our university?" At first, Paul shook his head, but then he suddenly remembered something and asked, "Yvonne, do you remember the case where the $30,000 raised by our university was stolen a few days ago?" "Of course I do, but didn't they say that the surveillance camera was broken and the police couldn't find any leads..." Yvonne replied without thinking before her eyes widened in astonishment. "Paul, are you saying that Ashton stole the money? T-This can't be true, right?" "Ashton is poor, and Gracie and the other three girls come from average families. And as for Dwayne, he's a struggling student who has to take out loans to go to university. Do you really think the six of them could afford to dine at The Copper Tree?" Paul replied with a sneer. "It seems like we can help our university solve the case..." A week ago, their faculty had called for donations to help a student who was hospitalized with leukemia. Everyone responded enthusiastically, and they soon raised $30,000 in cash. However, the night before the money could be delivered to the hospital, the office where the cash was stored was broken into, and the money disappeared without a trace. This incident caused a big uproar, and the university's higher-ups even reported it to the police. However, after conducting an investigation, the police couldn't find any leads. The nearest surveillance camera had been broken for a long time, and there were no fingerprints left on the door. As a result, the case remained unsolved. The university's chancellor was furious about this. At a university meeting, he even pounded the table, vowing to expel the person who had stolen the money if caught, regardless of whether they were a student or a lecturer. However, this was just an empty threat made in anger. If the police couldn't find anything, how could he, a paunchy university chancellor, hope to solve the case? And now, Paul and Yvonne had actually seen Ashton and Dwayne treating four ladies to a meal at The Copper Tree. Moreover, these two financially struggling individuals had ordered all the expensive dishes at the restaurant! They thought, "That's the biggest problem right there!" "Tomorrow, I'll go to our university and talk to Mr. Hahn to make Dwayne pay his tuition," said Paul with a sneer. "He still hasn't paid his tuition this year, and our university won't give him any more loans..." Paul not only came from a wealthy family, but his family also had numerous connections with Mitchell Hahn, the chancellor of Andridge University. If he were to ask Mitchell not to grant Dwayne any more loans, Dwayne wouldn't be able to get any financial assistance for his tuition! Once that happened, Dwayne would have no choice but to leave the university without being able to afford his tuition. Even though Yvonne was now his girlfriend and had even given herself to him, Paul still felt irritated whenever he saw Dwayne. He thought, "The best option is to get rid of this loser who stands in my way." Yvonne seemed to sense Paul's jealousy. She felt delighted and embraced him tenderly, saying, "Paul, I've given myself to you, so what else do you need to worry about? I won't even spare another glance at a loser like Dwayne for the rest of my life!" She rubbed her ample breasts against him, igniting desire in his heart. Paul remembered something and sneered. "By the way, I remember that the money lost at our university was around $30,000. We have to find a way to make him confess!" "What?" Yvonne looked up in confusion. Taking her hand, Paul quickly left the private room and chased after Ashton. ... Dwayne walked with his head down, silently leading the group. Meanwhile, Ashton's hand tightly gripped the remaining $2,600 in crisp banknotes, which were already damp with his sweat. He wondered, "How did Dwayne suddenly become so wealthy?" Inwardly, he was puzzled. Just as he was about to ask about it, he heard someone call from behind, "Ashton! Wait a minute!" Gracie and the other girls also stopped and turned to look behind them. Paul quickly caught up to them, pulling Yvonne along. Looking at Ashton with disdain, he suggested, "Ashton, since you're so rich, why don't you take your girlfriend out for a good time tonight?" Ashton frowned. "What do you mean?" Paul replied with a suggestive wink, "I mean, get a hotel room... Don't tell me you and Gracie haven't slept together yet?" Ashton's face turned red at his words. He and Gracie had been dating for a while, but they had never crossed any boundaries. Now that Paul had called him out in front of everyone, he felt embarrassed. "Oh! So, you two really haven't slept together yet!" Paul deliberately exclaimed. Gracie's cheeks also turned rosy, but with her fiery temperament, she immediately retorted, "Paul, what we do is none of your business!" "Tsk, tsk..." Paul wasn't offended by her reply. Instead, he shook his head and said, "I'm just saying this for your own good! Since you two are a couple, you should do what couples do. It's about deepening your love for one another! Look at Dwayne, for example. He never slept with Yvonne, and now she's my girlfriend! That says something, don't you think?" Yvonne never expected Paul to be so blunt in front of everyone. In an instant, she bashfully leaned on him without looking up. Seeing her behavior, Dwayne clenched his fists tightly. He thought, "I never thought you would be like this, Yvonne!" Ashton's voice turned cold. "Paul, thanks for your concern, but Gracie isn't the kind of person who cares about money! And unlike someone, she wouldn't do disgusting things!" Everyone present knew to whom he was referring. Dwayne was his close friend, and he had once hoped that Dwayne and Yvonne would be together forever. However, Yvonne had slept with someone else before they even graduated from university! This made him feel humiliated on behalf of his friend. "Hey, don't say things like that. That's just the way society is now. It's not unacceptable for a woman to choose a better partner!" said Paul as he took a box of pills out of his pocket. "Ashton, here's a gift for you. Now that you're wealthy, why not enjoy life a little? And besides, if Gracie truly loves you, why hasn't she slept with you? Or could you have some issues in that area?" "You're the one who has issues in that area!" Ashton shot back. "Then let's go! I know the manager of Paragon Hotel. If we go there together, I can get you a discount," replied Paul with a smile. "I'm not afraid of you!" In the heat of the moment, Ashton took the box of pills from Paul. Then, he looked down, only to be surprised to discover that it was actually a box of birth control pills! This box of pills was among those unloaded from the truck after Aaron crashed it into the rented house the other day. Paul had taken two boxes of them at the time, and now, he took out one of them just to provoke Ashton. Holding the box of birth control pills, Ashton looked at Gracie next to him, unsure of what to do. Gracie's face turned red. She knew it was perfectly normal for university students to go out and get a hotel room nowadays. And besides, in her heart, she had already accepted Ashton as her future husband. Could tonight be the night I lose my virginity to him? Seeing how lovely she looked, Ashton made up his mind and put the box of birth control pills in his pocket. He let out a snort, saying, "I'm not afraid of you, Paul! Let's go!" He still had 2,600 in his pocket, which was enough for him to get a hotel room with Gracie. The other girls blushed with embarrassment at the sight of this. After saying goodbye to Gracie, they quickly left. At that moment, the only ones left were Ashton and Gracie, Paul and Yvonne, and Dwayne, who was single. Paul looked at Dwayne with a contemptuous smirk. "Dwayne, why are you still here? Could it be that you want to come along with us and have fun? But you don't even seem to have a girlfriend. Even if you get a hotel room, all you can do is masturbate alone…" Seeing Yvonne snuggled in Paul's arms, Dwayne felt a wave of nausea. Yvonne didn't even bother to make eye contact with him. When she saw him looking at her, she immediately rolled her eyes in disdain and turned her head away.