Chapter 44

Tessa barely let the suspicion cross her mind before brushing it aside. "Her status above ours? No chance.She must have found herself some sugar daddy."

"I'll call Fred-he might know what's really going on,"Stacey said,already fishing her phone from her bag.

Before she could place the call, the mall's loudspeakers crackled to life: "Attention all shoppers.Effective immediately, Vantage Mall will be closed to the public for the exclusive use of the Owen family's honored daughter. All shops are to suspend business for the next two hours."

"What?" Stacey jerked her head up in disbelief.All around them, the mall's lights flickered off, leaving only the Beedleshine boutique aglow beneath a single,stark spotlight. A dozen of black-suited bodyguards assembled,forming a barrier to keep out prying eyes as they guided a young woman from the store.

Tessa's voice trembled. "What... what is this?"

A sick feeling took hold of Stacey. "It couldn't actually be Rylie, could it?"

"That's ridiculous," Tessa retorted. "There were other girls in there, and Rylie's just some country bumpkin.She couldn't possibly be that important."

Not far away, a cluster of frustrated young women from wealthy families was also being hustled toward the exits. Paola's face had gone pale, and her friend shouted furiously at security, "You're out of your minds! Paola's an Owen too! How dare you treat us like this?"

The security team exchanged a look,then one of them made a quick call and returned with a stiff apology."Sorry, but the directive is clear. The entire mall is reserved for the Owen family's only daughter. No exceptions."

Isabella clung to Paola's arm, her eyes flashing. "This is insane! Paola, you're an Owen, aren't you? There's no way they'd go to all this trouble for that nobody.They must have meant you!"

Paola couldn't even fake a smile. "Let me make a call,"she said quietly.

Slipping away from her circle, she dialed Deandre and laid out the whole situation. His apology was little more than an afterthought. "Sorry, Paola. I just wanted Rylie to have the run of the mall today. It honestly slipped my mind."

Her chest tightened, but she forced her voice to stay pleasant. "I don't mind being shown the door, but do you think you could let my friends shop? That's all l ask."

Deandre replied,"Got it. You can all join Rylie. Have fun."

The call ended, leaving Paola simmering with jealousy that she tried to hide. Despite being just from a distant branch of the Owen family, she had always counted herself as the Owen family's cherished daughter.

There was no way this outsider, Rylie, could take her place. Paola would make sure that everyone knew who the Owen family's real daughter was.

When she returned, the bodyguards,now briefed with new instructions, changed their tune and courteously ushered her group back inside. That move salvaged her standing-her friends never doubted her claim of being an Owen.

Elsewhere, trouble brewed. Casper hadn't set foot outside his office in days, barricading himself from the world.

Tessa's chronic leg pain had flared up badly, and a nasty reaction to her medication landed her at VitaLink Hospital. Stacey was left behind at home,nerves on edge for reasons that she couldn't quite explain.

Nicolas was bedridden and unable to run the family's affairs. Leland spent his days in the hospital,his nights at the company-his energy drained, his hair graying faster than ever. Phillip was nowhere to be found;rumors said that the fiasco with his racing team had him barely keeping it together.

Ever since Rylie's departure from the Kirk family,nothing had been the same.

That afternoon, as usual, a servant prepared a homemade meal and delivered it to Tessa's hospital room. Leland stood beside her bed, medical chart in hand, his expression grim. "The latest round of tests shows your legs' condition hasn't improved. In fact,it's gotten worse."

All color was drained from Tessa's face. "That's impossible. Stacey went to the Wilde family's famous doctor for my medicine, and she's been massaging my legs every day."

Hearing the name "Wilde family" made Leland's face tighten with frustration. Ever since Nicolas' sudden decline, his trust in their so-called experts had evaporated. None of Marsha's remedies had made the slightest difference.

"For now, stick to the painkillers and stop using anything Stacey picked up from Marsha," he suggested.

Tessa clung to the hope of good news. "And Nicolas?Has he improved at all?"

Leland let out a weary sigh and shook his head. "His legs' nerves have shut down. At this point, the only option doctors are recommending is amputation, to keep it from getting any worse."

Tessa felt the world drop out from beneath her. Her voice pitched upward. "Amputation? Are you serious?How could it possibly come to this? Before we came back, Nicolas promised me he was fine-he could walk, run, even manage the business. He was in perfect health!"

A heavy silence hung in the air before Leland finally spoke."That was true-up until Rylie was forced out."