She Was the Treasure All Along novel Chapter 605

Forrest awkwardly mimicked Loyce, peeling the hot shell and popping the chestnut into his mouth. The sweet, buttery warmth melted on his tongue, and his eyes widened in surprise.

"This is incredible," he admitted, a rare, relaxed smile touching his lips. "It easily rivals anything a five-star pastry chef could make."

The vendor, thrilled to hear such praise from a man who looked like he owned half the city, beamed. "You're too kind! It's just a simple snack."

Forrest immediately ordered two more bags. "I'll take these back for the family."

Loyce smiled, realizing that this simple, grounded side of life was exactly what her workaholic brother had been missing.

With time to kill before the ladies finished at the salon, they wandered past a brightly lit Game Arcade. The air was filled with chaotic electronic chimes and the shrieks of excited kids.

Forrest stared at the flashing lights, a flicker of genuine intrigue in his eyes.

"Want to go in?" Loyce asked, catching his look.

Forrest hesitated. A bustling, noisy arcade was the furthest thing from his refined image. "No, it would look ridiculous for me to be in there."

"But I really want to play," Loyce said, unconsciously slipping into a teasing, sisterly tone. "Come on, Forrest. Play a game with me?"

He melted instantly against her pleading. "Alright. Let's go."

The sheer volume of the arcade hit them like a wall, and Forrest grimaced slightly. But Loyce had already bought a cup of tokens and dragged him toward the machines. She hadn't been to an arcade since she was a little girl, back before the truth of her identity was revealed.

They stopped at a claw machine.

Forrest stared at the pile of plushies, feeling slightly absurd, but at Loyce's urging, he dropped a token in. He maneuvered the joystick with total seriousness, only for the weak claw to drop uselessly and grasp nothing.

He tried again. And again.

Frowning, he analyzed the machine. "The tension in the claw has been deliberately loosened. It's a calculated probability algorithm designed to maximize profit while offering a minimal win rate."

Loyce laughed. "That's how they make their money."

It took them fifty tokens, but they finally managed to extract a small squirrel plushie. Despite knowing they had basically bought it at a massive markup, Forrest handed it to Loyce with a triumphant grin.

Next, they hit the basketball hoops.

"Yes, you are!" The chubby boy raised a hand to push him again.

"Stop it!" A woman in practical, worn clothes sprinted over, shielding the smaller boy behind her. She glared at the bully. "You can't just put your hands on people!"

"Mom! He stole my toy and called me broke!" the little boy sobbed into his mother's coat.

"I didn't steal it! He stole it from me!" the chubby boy instantly lied, putting on a perfect act of righteous anger.

Seeing her son's red, bruised arm, the mother was furious. She instinctively reached out to push the chubby boy away. "Why are you being so vicious? This isn't the first time you've picked on him—"

Before she even touched him, the chubby boy shrieked, "Mommy! This lady is hitting me!"

A shrill voice immediately pierced the noise. "What do you think you're doing?! Get your hands off my son!"

A woman dripping in designer labels and heavy jewelry shoved her way through the crowd, pulling the chubby boy into a dramatic embrace. She took one look at the worn clothes of the mother and son and immediately sneered.

"Did you crawl out of a dumpster? How dare you touch my child! Do you have any idea how precious my son is? If you hurt him, you'll be working the rest of your pathetic life to pay for it!"