As Eric watched the wrestling match in the back, which seemed to be getting wilder by the second, a sudden "knock... knock" came from the driver-side door. He quickly scrambled up into the seat and cracked the door open. Standing there was a school security officer, wearing a sour expression like he had just swallowed a lemon, looking like he had just gotten chewed out by his boss.

"Um... is there a problem, officer?" Eric asked, playing dumb.

"Sorry, but a vehicle of this size is a major hazard in the school parking lot. I’m going to need you to move it immediately," the security guard replied, firm and completely serious.

"Oh... right, sorry about that, officer. I’ll get moving right away," Eric replied.

"Thank you," the guard said, grabbing the door handle and pulling it shut.

Without wasting any time, Eric fired up the engine. The girls in the back immediately felt the slight vibration of the motor starting up and sat up on the bed. They looked up, noticing the blue sky and clouds starting to drift past, and began making their way to the front. They found Eric sitting in the driver’s seat, navigating the road.

"Um... where are we going?" Monica asked.

"Home," Eric answered bluntly, keeping his eyes on the road.

"Wait... home? Aren’t we going to take this RV out for a spin?" Priya questioned.

"We need to stop by the house first so I can change my clothes. Where exactly did you guys want to go anyway?" Eric asked, confused.

"Hmm... how about we head out of town? We could camp out by the road or something," Heidi suggested.

"Hold on... don’t you guys have school tomorrow?" Eric asked, completely caught off guard.

"Tomorrow is a three-day orientation camp for the freshmen. We seniors get those three days off," Chloe answered.

"Oh... really? Are you sure?" Eric asked.

"Of course we’re sure, why would we make something like that up?" Emma chimed in.

"Yeah, it’s true. The teacher just told us earlier," Laura added.

Eric glanced over at the six girls standing beside him. Their eyes were wide and sparkling with anticipation, though he couldn’t tell if they were hoping he’d buy their story or just desperate to get out of town. "Sigh," Eric let out a breath and focused back on the road.

"Look... as far as I know, freshman orientation happens a week before the school year actually starts. Once classes begin, there are no more orientations. Am I right?" Eric asked, casting a teasing smirk their way.

"Tch," all six of them sucked their teeth simultaneously, realizing their plan to skip school and go on a road trip had just gone up in smoke.

"Tell you what, we’ll take this thing out for a real trip over the weekend. For now, we’re going home," Eric said with a smile.

"Are you serious?" Emma asked, her eyes full of hope.

"Yep... absolutely," Eric replied casually.

"Hell yeah!" All six girls instantly cheered, immediately heading back to the bedroom. They piled back onto the bed, staring up at the sky through the wide sunroof, which could be closed up with a built-in shade whenever they wanted.

Eric just smiled and let out a soft chuckle, keeping his hands on the wheel as he guided the RV toward his apartment complex. A little while later, after battling his way through heavy traffic and congested streets, he finally made it and pulled the massive vehicle into the outdoor parking lot.

Eric pulled out a custom weather cover from one of the RV’s side compartments to shield it from the sun and rain. All six girls pitched in, helping him wrap and secure the vehicle. Once they finished up, they walked toward the lobby, chatting and laughing cheerfully.

But the moment they stepped inside, Eric and the six girls froze dead in their tracks. Standing right there at the reception desk was Anthony, looking like he was in the middle of a heated argument with the female receptionist while a security guard kept a close eye on him.

"Uh... him again," Emma groaned.

"How does he even know we live here?" Chloe asked, completely bewildered.

"Hey... look over there,"

Laura pointed toward the lounge area. Sitting on the couch were Ruby, Mike, and Jade, looking like they were waiting for something. The moment Eric saw them, his jaw clenched tightly, and his expression turned icy cold. Naturally, Emma, Chloe, Monica, Priya, Heidi, and Laura noticed the shift in his face right away and grabbed his arms, three on his right and three on his left.

"Come on... let’s head up," Eric said, turning to look at the girls.

Seeing that Eric had calmed himself back down, the girls nodded and offered small smiles, stepping forward casually toward the elevators. But as they passed the reception desk, Anthony caught sight of them and instantly abandoned his argument. He stepped right out, blocking the path of Eric, Emma, Chloe, Monica, Priya, Heidi, and Laura.

"Hello... we meet again. So? Can we finally talk now?" Anthony asked, cutting straight to the chase.

Eric looked past him, noticing Ruby, Jade, and Mike watching from a distance. He also caught Mike avoiding eye contact entirely, his face making it crystal clear that he didn’t want to be there at all.

Eric turned back to look at Anthony, but this time, his face was completely cold, without a single trace of a smile. Without saying a word to him, he turned his attention to the security guard.

"Officer, could you stay with us for a second? If anything happens, please handle it, and call the cops if you have to. Let me talk to him first," Eric asked calmly.

"You got it, Mr. Reed," the security guard replied, nodding with a slight smile.

Hearing that, the smile on Anthony’s face vanished entirely, while the guard looked like he had just been given the green light to step in. Eric then shifted his gaze back to Anthony.

"Sorry, but this is our home, and please don’t bother us while we’re here. If you don’t want this to escalate into a bigger problem, I suggest you leave right now. If we ever find the time, we will be the ones to contact you," Eric said, his tone icy and composed.

"Ah... I understand, but could we maybe just talk over there... no need to head upstairs," Anthony said, gesturing toward the lounge area.

"This lobby is still part of our home. As you can see, the girls just got back from school and I just got off work. We’d appreciate some understanding," Eric shot back, calm and cold.

But before Anthony could say another word, a sudden "hey" cut in. Eric turned to see Jade marching right toward him. Anthony’s face went completely pale, Mike tried to hold her back, and Ruby looked like she wanted to melt right into the couch.

Jade reached out, grabbed Eric by his tie, and yanked him down to force him to look her in the eye, brushing off Mike’s hand as he tried to stop her.

"What the hell is your problem, Eric? You never used to be like this. Did you get a little money and suddenly think you’re better than everyone else?" Jade yelled.

"Slap,"

Eric smacked Jade’s hand away so hard her face twisted in pain instantly. But the moment Jade tried to step forward again, Mike pulled her back, while Emma, Chloe, Monica, Priya, Heidi, and Laura immediately swarmed around Eric to shield him. They glared at Jade with daggers in their eyes.

"Please keep your hands to yourself. I suggest you leave, Miss Watts, I have absolutely no connection to you," Eric said, his voice flat and steady, but his eyes were completely dead.

Catching Eric’s gaze, Jade completely froze and flinched. She was seeing who Eric was now for the very first time, a far cry from the friendly, easygoing guy who laughed off everything, treated everyone well, and never had a harsh bone in his body.

She realized Eric had completely changed. As she stared at his face, scanning his features, she desperately hoped to find a trace of the cousin she used to adore, the one who used to fill her heart. But there was nothing left.

Without realizing it, her heart felt like it had been stabbed, hearing Eric call her Miss Watts and stare right through her with cold eyes, acting as if he didn’t even know who she was.

Meanwhile, Anthony and Mike looked like they wished they were anywhere else, clearly regretting their decision to show up. Finally, Anthony stepped forward.

"Apologies, Eric. We’ll get out of your hair. We didn’t mean to ambush you, we just wanted to talk. If we caused any offense, I apologize on behalf of everyone. We’re leaving now," Anthony said, trying to diffuse the situation.

"Alright. Thank you for your understanding, Mr. Anthony. I’ll get in touch with you," Eric said, and this time, he actually smiled.

"Good, thank you. And again, I’m sorry," Anthony replied, forcing a smile.

"Sorry about this, Eric. Come on, Jade," Mike said.

Mike immediately guided Jade away, who kept looking back at Eric with tears streaming down her face. Anthony followed close behind them, and Ruby, who had been glued to the couch, scrambled up and ran to catch up with Jade, Mike, and Anthony.

Then, Eric glanced at the security guard and nodded. The guard nodded back and walked away. After that, Eric gave a quick nod to the receptionist, who greeted him in return, before they all walked over to elevator two and stepped inside. Once the doors closed, all six girls turned to face Eric.

"Are you really planning on meeting up with him again?" Emma asked.

"Seriously, what do you want to meet up with him for? He had the nerve to track us all the way down here," Laura questioned.

"I bet Ruby is behind all of this," Priya grumbled, clearly annoyed.

"Drop it, it’s not worth talking about. Ruby doesn’t matter. I’m willing to meet with him because at least he understands that he crossed a line and actually apologized. Besides, there are a few things I need to discuss with him anyway," Eric replied.

"Oh... I see," Chloe said, though she kept her eyes on Eric’s face, scanning for any hidden agenda or shift in his mood.

With that, they rode the elevator the rest of the way up, finally heading back into their home to relax and unwind for the day.