Chapter 57

Evita gave a theatrical shake of her head, pretending to scold gently. "Alright, don't go too hard on the girl.She's still your student, after all."

Timothy's voice rose, brimming with rage. "You don't understand what she's done! She wrecked my entire research project. She wiped out all my data. Because of her, Mr. Morgan pulled his support. That study could've saved his life!"

A faint smile tugged at Rylie's lips, laced with frost."Your project? If I really destroyed it, why not just do it again? Weren't the reports yours? Weren't you the one in charge? Like you always said, I was only a student keeping records. If the data's gone, why is it that all those 'groundbreaking' results you boasted about vanished with it, Professor Powell?"

Timothy froze. The confidence was drained from his face. He couldn't say a word.

The truth behind his research was plain. His work on clinical medicine and artificial intelligence barely scratched the surface. Most of the effort came from his students. Deep down, even he never believed that it would amount to anything. He was only after the Morgan family's money. Evita had convinced him that Brad wouldn't live through the year.Once he died, there'd be no one left to demand results, and Timothy could walk away with the funding.

Rylie gave him a sideways glance, her voice low and calm. "What would Mr. Morgan think if he learned how little you actually knew about your own study?"

"You're lying!" Timothy snapped, his voice cracking."Nobody would take your word over mine!"

Evita suddenly raised her voice. "Enough. Keep your mouth shut."

Her face turned stern. That fool was on the verge of blurting out something that would expose everything.

Timothy bit back his anger and stayed quiet under her cold stare.

Turning to Rylie, Evita spoke indifferently, her expression sharpening with pride. "You're from HaloFlow Pharmacy. You trained under Selah Hobbes. I won't hold that against you, not yet. But let's be honest. The reason you got your hands on Nexo-7 wasn't due to your skill. Selah stole the formula from the Wilde family. If not for that theft,we would've had the medication ready long before Brad's condition turned critical."

At the mention of Selah's name, murmurs rippled through the room.

"Isn't that the doctor who caused a patient's death during a botched procedure?"

"Why didn't the Morgans vet their guests more carefully? They let someone like Rylie take part in this seminar?"

"How dare Selah send a student out to do her bidding? Does she truly believe everyone has forgotten what she did?"

"It makes sense now. No wonder the girl could hand over a pure dose of Nexo-7. If Selah's behind her,then of course. Selah and Evita used to dominate the medical field together, but later, Selah stole formulas just to keep her edge. And the poor Wilde family's reputation suffered. It's no wonder the Wildes hate Selah so much."

The crowd grew restless. Their stares turned cold.Rylie felt the shift instantly. That was exactly the response Evita had been hoping for. But Selah was nowhere in sight. Evita really wwished that Selah could be present and face the humiliation together with Rylie:

Evita put on a gentle tone, though the edge in her words was clear. "Your mentor may know medicine,but her ethics are questionable. Her reputation isn't exactly spotless. I doubt the Morgan famnily would risk Mr. Brad Morgan's care on someone like you. lf something goes wrong, could you handle the blame?There's still time to make things right. Go back to school. Stay on track before it's too late."

Others standing nearby took her lead and began to chime in.

"Why would someone like her be allowed to treat Mr.

Morgan here at the estate?"

"Her invitation must be fake."

"Security, escort her out at once."

The moment the word "fake" was mentioned, the guards exchanged a look, then turned to Rylie and asked politely, "Miss, may we see your invitation?"

Evita had counted on this. She assumed that Rylie wouldn't bring one. The last time Rylie had visited, it was only because she'd delivered Nexo-7. So Evita took a gamble, hoping to publicly shame her and warn Selah not to get involved again.

But Rylie didn't come unprepared. She calmly reached into her pocket and pulled out an invitation.

It looked nothing like the others. The card had a deep red background edged in gold, and the handwriting was unmistakably unique.

The guards leaned in for a closer inspection. The change in their expressions was immediate.Onlookers began whispering to each other. "Is there something wrong with her invitation?"

Timothy took the opening and raised his voice. "Of course she doesn't belong here! Her mentor already ruined lives, and now she's teaching her student to lie and cheat! This is disgraceful!"

Evita pretended not to take sides, though her smile gave her away. "You're still young, Rylie. If you're really so eager to pose as a doctor, you could ask one of us seasoned experts for help. These little tricks of yours won't get you far."

"How shameful."

"Is this the kind of training Selah gives her apprentice? I'd be too embarrassed to show my face."

Rylie didn't react. She didn't glance their way. She simply waited, calm and composed, as the guards decided what to do next.

Without warning, both guards stepped forward,bowing low. Their voices rang out, clear and firm."Welcome.Please come in!"

The chatter stopped at once.

Their sudden show of respect landed like a quiet blow across Evita's face. She stood still, caught off guard. None of this made sense.

One guard, still bent slightly, addressed Rylie with care, "The seminar will be held in the front hall. If there's anything you need, I'll be right there to assist.Please follow me."

Beside him, the second guard gripped the invitation tightly. Sweat gathered in his palm. The writing on the card was clear and strong. Most invitations looked alike, ordinary and printed. But this one -marked with gold and stamped with weight-meant something only a few within the Morgan family would understand.

Out of all the invitations sent by the Morgans, just one carried Sean's own handwriting. It was meant for Healing Hand, a figure known only in whispered circles of the medical world.The guards didn't know for certain if Rylie was that person. Still, the risk of turning her away was too high.

Rylie expected this shift. She remembered the message that she had received through the dark web. Sean had sent her the card himself,handwriting every word. She never meant to use it. But now that the Wilde family was involved, she figured that there was no reason to hold back.