Chapter 14

William was acting like Daisy's brother. Furious, Benjamin glared daggers at William as he watched the latter fawn over Daisy and praise her drawing. The other kids crowded around Daisy. Some handed her snacks, others offered sweets, and a few even complimented how pretty she looked. The scene only fueled Benjamin's frustration. What was so great about Daisy? Sure, she was adorable, but she couldn't even talk. Benjamin felt that these kids were probably just doing it to suck up to Layla. Layla packed up her things and walked over to Daisy. Smiling, she said, "Sweetheart, I have a meeting to attend. Stay here with your friends, okay? Don't cause trouble." Daisy nodded. William said in a responsible tone, "Don't worry, Ms. Jenkins. I'll take care of her." Layla gave him a brief smile. "I'll be in the principal's office. If anything comes up, you know where to find me." The second period was music class. The moment the bell rang, Benjamin couldn't sit still anymore. He stormed over to William and knocked on his desk. "You. Go sit over there." William looked up, puzzled. "But I'm supposed to help Ms. Jenkins take care of Daze." Benjamin's jaw tightened. "Her name is Daisy. Stop calling her Daze like you're so close or something." Even he, her actual brother, didn't use a nickname like that. Why should an outsider get to? Faced with Benjamin's bossy demeanor, William had no choice but to comply. He turned to Daisy and asked softly, "Are you okay with sitting next to him?" Daisy nodded enthusiastically, even reaching out to tug at Benjamin's sleeve to make him sit down. Benjamin smirked smugly. "See that? She wants me to stay. You can go now." William left reluctantly. Benjamin plopped into the seat next to Daisy and glanced at her drawing. "What is this? It looks awful." Daisy didn't get upset at all. Instead, she smiled sweetly at him before continuing to work on her drawing. For the rest of the period, Benjamin found himself unable to look away. He watched her sketch and occasionally beam a smile his way. Why did he feel like hugging her? What kind of magic did Daisy have to make him feel like this? While he was lost in thought, Daisy turned the finished drawing toward him. On the paper was a little boy with a dramatically pouty expression, clearly sulking. But why did the boy have the same shirt as him? As Benjamin wondered about it, Daisy pointed at the little boy in the drawing and then patted Benjamin, indicating that this was him. Benjamin's eyes widened. He asked through gritted teeth, "Do I look that ugly?" Daisy shook her head with a grin. She reached out with her chubby little hands and gently tugged at the corners of Benjamin's mouth. Then, she looked at him and nodded repeatedly. How could Benjamin not understand what she meant? She was trying to say that he would look really nice if he smiled. Benjamin didn't mind her touch. In fact, he felt oddly comfortable with it. For a brief moment, he wanted to hug her, maybe even kiss her chubby little cheek. But the thought of her stealing Layla's attention hardened his heart again. When Daisy noticed his frown, she immediately withdrew her hands and quietly returned to her drawing. … Meanwhile, Layla knocked on the door of the principal's office. Inside, not only was Horace there, but Seth as well. "Ms. Jenkins, please come in," Horace greeted warmly. "Take a seat. There's something I need to discuss with you." Layla nodded politely and chose a seat far from Seth. Horace began, "This meeting is about William from your class. You took him home yesterday. Could you share more about his family situation?" Layla nodded. "His father passed away last year from cancer, and his mother is physically disabled. William takes on most of the responsibilities at home. Not only does he have to attend school, but he also takes care of his mom. "Their living expenses rely entirely on the minimal welfare support, and William's nutrition is far from adequate. I wanted to leave him some money yesterday, but he refused, saying he could take care of his mom just fine." Upon hearing these words, Seth was slightly moved. His mind instantly flashed back to 16-year-old Layla. Back then, her design had made waves in the industry, earning her invitations from prestigious international schools. Even the Parker family had offered to sponsor her education abroad. But she'd turned it all down. Skinny and shy, she'd faced the press and simply said, "I'm grown up now. I can take care of myself. Please give the support to someone who needs it more." She'd always been grateful. When she found out the Parker family was the main donor to her orphanage, she didn't hesitate to agree to work at Parker Group after graduation, even if it meant giving up her dreams. The memories left a bitter ache in Seth's chest. Such a kind, grateful young lady had been hurt so deeply. He looked at Layla and said in a low voice, "I'm here to discuss how we can help this boy. I'll cover all the expenses. Do you have any suggestions, Ms. Jenkins?" Layla gave a faint smile and nodded politely at Seth before responding, "Thank you, Mr. Parker, but direct help might hurt his pride. We should create a way for him to earn the money, like a scholarship or prize. That way, he'll feel accomplished rather than pitied." Horace nodded quickly. "That's easy enough. Exams are coming up. We'll announce that the top three students in the grade will receive a reward. William always scores well. This will motivate him even more." Seth thought for a moment. "Too many school rewards might raise suspicion. Let's focus on the upcoming Math Olympiad instead. "Parker Group can sponsor the event and increase the prize money. If he earns a medal, he'll get a significant reward. But we'll need your help to make sure he wins, Ms. Jenkins." Layla nodded firmly. "I'll make sure he gets that medal." "Good. It's settled." Seth turned to Horace. "I need to discuss something with Ms. Jenkins." Understanding the cue, Horace stood up. "Okay. I'll leave you two to it." Once the door closed, Seth walked over to Layla and looked at her intently. "I've helped solve a problem for one of your students. Now I'd like to ask for your help." Layla met his eyes calmly. "What do you need, Mr. Parker?" He handed her a sheet of paper and stared at her beautiful eyes. "The company's annual gala is next month. I'd like you to design a suit for me."