Chapter 42

Rylie wore a subtle smile, barely noticeable, as she let Paola slip her arm through hers. The two of them strolled into the high-end wing of Vantage Mall,flanked by a cluster of well-dressed young women from wealthy families.

Overhead, glittering chandeliers poured light acrOSS the polished floor, and the air carried a mix of expensive perfume.

"Shall we look at Petalpoly first?" asked Paola,motioning toward a boutique nearby. "Their latest pieces would suit the charity gala beautifully."

"Alright," said Rylie, her voice light, her gaze moving past the dresses in the window that each bore eye-watering price tags.

The young women exchanged glances, a qquiet amusement shared between them. Isabella Olson,dressed sharply in luxury clothes, tilted her head. "Miss Owen, have you ever been to a gala of this caliber before? Would you like us to explain the dress code?"She put extra weight on the word "before," her tone sharp.

Rylie answered with a half-smile, "That won't be necessary."

"Oh my, Isabella, that was a bit harsh," said Paola with an amused tone.

Then she added, "Still, she makes a point, Rylie.Events like this have their own rules. Take that one,for example."

She nodded toward a gown on display, the hem covered in glimmering crystals. "It's the highlight of the store this season and would be perfect for the event."

A few of the other young women glanced at one another, then spoke up. "Paola's choice is excellent!That gown could have been made just for you, Miss Owen. It suits your elegance perfectly!"

Paola gave a small nod to a staff member, who carefully took the gown off the rack. She turned to Rylie. "Go ahead and try it on. Ifit suits you, we'll find jewelry to match."

"The jewelry here is surprisingly impressive," said Isabella as she held up a striking pink diamond necklace,lifting it to Rylie's collar with an exaggerated grin. "Look at this. Isn't it just right?"

The praise from these women flooded the space, but Rylie could tell that it was nothing more than thinly veiled ridicule.

She ran her eyes over the extravagant dress, her gaze pausing at the fine print on the tag. It read:"For costume parties only."

A soft scoff stayed behind her lips. Did they honestly think that she was naive enough not to notice?

Wearing something meant for a theme party to a charity gala? She wasn't that easily fooled!

And that flashy diamond necklace? If she wore that,she'd be the butt of every joke at the gala.

Rylie's lips lifted in a smile, cool and cutting. "|thought women from your circles had refined taste and a talent for pairing garments with style."

She let her fingers brush a crystal on the dress and added, "Turns out I was wrong. Calling this cheap knockoff haute couture? You're all so tacky."

The group fell silent. Isabella's face tensed as she fired back, "We're helping you find a dress, and you call us tacky? What's your deal?"

Without blinking, Rylie shoved the dress into Paola's arms. Her tone didn't change. "You'd be better off distancing yourself from people with such poor taste.They're dragging down the Owen family's reputation.

It's embarrassing."

"You-!" Paola's temper snapped, but when she met Rylie's sharp stare, her voice caught in her throat. She knew right then that Rylie had figured her out.

"I'll choose my own dress. You don't have to trouble yourself," said Rylie with a slight smile. "You can enjoy your afternoon. I'll browse elsewhere." She turned and walked away, not once looking back.

Paola stood frozen, teeth clenched. One of her companions offered a pat on the shoulder. "Don't let it get to you, Paola. Even if she's not completely clueless, she's not stealing your thunder. Sure, she talks back, but let's see what she ends up wearing."

Paola breathed out slowly and gave a quiet reply, her feigned kindness returning. "I really did want to help her."

Rylie wandered around alone for a while before stepping into the Beedleshine boutique, a designer label. A certain handbag caught her attention,and she walked over to examine it.

A sales assistant approached with a cheerful tone."You've got great taste, miss. That's our newest release. It's priced at $100, 000. Unfortunately, we're out of stock at the moment. Would you like to take a look at something else? We've just stocked some lovely globes, tableware, and bicycles too."

Luxury shops weren't a usual stop for Rylie. She had never paid attention to the competitive habits of socialites. Since turning of age, the Kirk family had excluded her from their events, always sending Stacey in her place.

Before that, her brothers from the Kirk family sometimes bought her clothing or accessories,but none of it ever cost more than $10,000.

Rylie picked up the bag and passed it to the assistant."I'm not interested in the rest. I just want this one."

"I'm sorry, miss," said the woman with a tight smile."This is a display model. You'll have to wait for restock." She smiled again, but it wasn't sincere. It was common knowledge in the store that if a customer didn't purchase enough leftover stock, they wouldn't get access to new releases. No commission meant no bag.

Rylie was just about to set the handbag down, thinking that it truly wasn't in stock, when voices drifted in behind her.

Stacey had come with Tessa, who brought her along for a shopping trip. "You'll be marrying into the Dury family soon," said Tessa. "If you don't carry expensive bags and wear proper jewelry,real socialites won't take you seriously."

Still holding her mother's hand, Stacey gave a small smile. "It's fine, Mom. My brothers have already bought me plenty of bags and jewelry. They're all worth tens of thousands."

Tessa shook her head. "That's not enough. Once you're married to Fred and mingling with the upper circle, you'll notice that the truly elite carry handbags that cost at least hundreds of thousands." She gave Stacey's hand a firm pat. "We'll get you something extravagant today. You can't afford to be seen without status in future events."

Though Stacey felt thrilled inside - she had never owned anything so costly before-she kept her tone soft. "Alright. I'll go along with your plan."

They walked into the Beedleshine boutique and immediately caught sight of Rylie near the handbags.

"Rylie?" they said in unison, clearly taken aback.

Rylie turned toward them. Before she could say anything, the same associate from earlier stepped forward with a warm smile. "Mrs. Kirk, it's been a while.What can I help you with today?"

Tessa brushed past the greeting without so much as a glance. Her expression tightened as she stepped up to Rylie. "So, instead of scraping by with those good -for-nothing parents. you've decided to shop for luxury iterns? What's the story? Did some rich man start keeping you on the side?

Her voice was shatp and full of scorn. To her. Rylie was nothing but a souirce of shame

Rylie didn't bolink. Her reply was flat. "Didh't Stacey already explain everything to you about the car racing?"