Chapter 15

Vivian beamed with pride, pulling Stacey forward."Meet Stacey Kirk, a prodigy in medical research-my own student and the mastermind behind the Nexo-7 serum. She played a pivotal role in Rylie's last formulation, and this new version is even more refined. It's perfectly safe for Mr. Morgan, and the benefits will only increase with use."

With an arch of her brow, Rylie let her words linger in the air. "Is that so? I suppose I should see for myself just how flawless Stacey's serum really is."

At that moment, Brad was elsewhere, catching up with an old comrade in one of the private rooms,leaving Rylie to oversee things on her own.

Stacey's knuckles turned white as she forced a smile, nails digging into her palms. "Of course, Rylie and I are family, after all. It's only natural our research would reflect one another's skills."

Leland, standing at the edge of the group, let out a scornful laugh. "You don't have to sugarcoat it,Stacey.Everyone knows Rylie's been taking credit for your breakthroughs."

Rylie couldn't help but marvel at his foolishness. She had gotten full scores of that difficult exam,yet here he was, still convinced that she had cheated and copied Stacey's work.

She cut the tension with a brisk command, saying,"Let's see the serum, then. Bring it out."

A trace of doubt flickered across Stacey's face,but she remembered-no one here but Rylie could ever achieve a high-purity result. Gaining some composure, she insisted, "For the sake of the patient, Rylie, we should administer the serum without any unnecessary delay."

A laugh bubbled from Rylie. "No need to look, then.The serum you're holding is a fake."

The room shifted, every face changing. Vivian's expression soured. "Rylie, my student put in the work for these results. On what basis do you claim the serum's a forgery?"

Stacey didn't miss a beat, her voice trembling with wounded pride. "Rylie, do you really want a repeat of what happened with Nicolas? You should be responsible for your words and actions."

A nearby doctor, curiosity piqued, glanced over."What's this about Nicolas? Do you mean Mr. Nicolas Kirk, still in this hospital? What's his connection to Rylie?"

In a gentle voice, Stacey answered, "Nicolas has never recovered. The serum Rylie created poisoned him."

Leland's resentment only grew sharper at the mention. "Our parents will be back soon, Rylie. After what you did to Nicolas, the Kirk family will never take you back."

Their accusations painted Rylie as a villain, and suspicion rippled through the crowd.

Hospital administrators, remembering Rylie's connection to Brad, tried to intervene, replying, "Mr.Morgan must have been misled. We should administer the serum to him right away."

"Enough." Rylie strode over to Stacey, snatched the box from her grasp, and removed the vial for all to see.

What she revealed was a bottle of serum so unnaturally violet that it looked toxic. Her lips curled in scorn. "And you call yourselves doctors? Don't you realize high-purity Nexo-7 is deadly if injected straight into the bloodstream?"

The group was left speechless by this blunt challenge from such a young person.

Even Vivian faltered-she'd never known about this danger. Her anger flared. "If I've never heard of it,then it can't possibly be true! You're just making things up!"

Buoyed by Vivian's support, Stacey chimed in, her confidence returning. "Rylie, stop acting like you're some expert. You're making it all up!"

Rylie retorted, unflinching, "Just because you're ignorant doesn't mean the facts change."

Tempers were rising and voices sharpening when, at that very moment, the elevator doors slid open -and Brad entered, accompanied by a striking woman in a crisp white coat.

The moment Marsha appeared, a glimmer of hope flickered in Stacey's eyes. She wasted no time adopting a fragile, wounded expression. "Marsha,thank goodness you're here."

Marsha made a show of lingering beside Brad, as if she and he shared a private understanding.Her voice was all gentle authority. "Is there a problem? Has the serum been prepared? We shouldn't keep Mr.Morgan waiting much longer."

Brad's eyes flickered toward Rylie, standing slightly a targeted, and misunderstood despite her obvious brilliance.

Without hesitation, he stepped forward, subtly placing himself in front of her, a protective gesture that spoke volumes.

"There's something wrong with the serum," Brad said, his toneflat and absolute.

Rylie, startled by this open show of trust, felt a softness that she hadn't expected. She gave a small nod. "He's right - the serum's a counterfeit. I've never seen Nexo-7 that shade. It must be contaminated or switched."

Brad's support rattled Stacey, who saw her social standing suddenly at risk. Tears welled in her eyes,her voice trembling with fury. "Rylie, why are you making up stories? Are you trying to destroy everything I've worked for?"

As she wobbled, Leland rushed to steady her,shooting a cold glare at Rylie. "Isn't it enough that you're always stirring up drama? This isn't a game- tampering with the serum could be fatal!"

Rylie kept her voice level and calm. "Raw,unprocessed Nexo-7 is highly toxic. If you inject it directly, you'll only make things worse."

The way Brad gravitated to Rylie gnawed at Marsha.Not long ago, even Felix, the wealthy Owen heir,had overlooked her expertise. For once, she wanted recognition for her own skills.

She lifted her chin, determined to display her knowledge. "I've never heard of any detoxification step for this compound. In our practice,we use it straight. People who don't understand the medicine should stay silent."

Quick to fall in line, Leland rounded on Rylie. "Marsha is the top of her class - she'd never mislead anyone.Rylie,stop humiliating yourself and get out of here!"

Ignoring the scolding, Rylie turned to Brad and asked, "Do you still trust this place enough to go through with treatment?"

Brad didn't answer immediately. He calmly pulled out his phone, dialed Evita, and set it to speaker. His voice was measured and clear. "I need your expertise on something."

It wasn't often Brad called, so Evita answered promptly, her tone instantly deferential, "Yes, Mr.Morgan, what can I do for you?"

He got right to the point. "Is high-purity Nexo-7dangerous if used straight from the vial?"

A pause followed before Evita spoke again. "That's an unusual question, Mr.Morgan. High-purity Nexo-7is absolutely toxic without detoxification. It's nothing like ordinary serums. I assumed you'd know that-you just had a high-purity dose yourself, and the detoxification process was necessary."

Evita hadn't always known about this, but after witnessing Rylie carefully neutralize the serum before Brad's last injection, she couldn't deny that the procedure was real.

As her words settled in, an uneasy silence swept over the room.

Evita, hearing the silence on the other end, felt that something was amiss. "Mr. Morgan, what happened?"