Chapter 75

The air shifted. Students nearby glanced at one another, their faces tinged with shock. Organ trafficking wasn't just tabloid gossip. It was a crime. The idea that the once-respected Kirk family might be involved? It made stomachs turn.

Rylie hadn't said a word, but it didn't matter. Rumors moved quicker than sound, and by now, the crowd had turned on Stacey.

Rylie knelt, brushed her fingers under Stacey's chin, and exhaled slowly. "You forced me out, thinking you were cleaning house. But you pushed out the one person keeping your family together. Now look at it.You're all falling apart."④

She didn't raise her voice. Her calm made it worse. "You tossed out my medicine and put your faith in Marsha's nonsense. And what happened? Nicolas can't walk anymore. Soon, he'll lose his legs. Your mother's condition hasn't improved either. That's on you. You stood in front of them and made promises you couldn't keep. And they believed you."

Rylie spoke gently, almost like she felt bad. Her expression, though, said otherwise. "Their health keeps spiraling. You're here now, hoping I'll fix what you broke. You don't care if I succeed. You just want someone to blame when things go wrong again."

Stacey's face went pale. Rylie had struck a nerve. But Stacey wasn't here just for that; she was trying to get close to Deandre too.

Through tears, Stacey finally choked out, "I realize l messed up. I shouldn't have stolen the affection for you from our parents and brothers. Do whatever you want to me, just save Mom and Nicolas."

Just as Stacey was about to kneel before Rylie again, Deandre frowned even more and pulled Rylie away from her. "Are you sure you want to keep dealing with this kind of person?"

Stacey froze,hearing Rylie deliberately ask innocently, "What kind of person?"

Deandre didn't hesitate."The type who uses pity and deceit to climb up. Women like her ruin people's lives just to get ahead. Don't waste your energy on that trash."

The insult hit hard. Trash? Stacey sat there, stunned. Had she really sunk to that level?

Rylie's stare cut through her. "You knew what would help your mother. The prescription exists. So why haven't you gotten it?" She didn't pause. "Is the cost so much that the whole Kirk family's assets aren't even enough to cover that? Or maybe you just don't want to help her anymnore?"

Deandre leaned forward and said, "Nicolas has built up a decent fortune. If he passes and Leland ends up behind bars, what's stopping you and Phillip from plotting something?"

He left the rest unsaid. But it was obvious. People were beginning to suspect that Stacey and Phillip were aiming to seize what belonged to the family.

Stacey, now neck-deep in her own mess, stood frozen. A voice in the crowd called her disgraceful. Others joined in, tossing harsh words her way. She kept shaking her head, trying to explain herself. But no one listened.

Rylie said nothing. Her eyes stayed sharp and cold. The things Stacey was going through now were no different from what she had once endured. To her, this was only fair.

Deandre swung open the door of his sleek luxury car and gestured for Rylie to hop in. A few steps away,Brad climbed into his simpler ride. Both vehicles rolled out of sight, one right after the other.

A student watching from the sidewalk squinted at the cars and gasped, "Those aren't just fancy. Those cars are limited editions. Nearly ten million apiece."

Another voice chimed in, "That lead car? It's from the Owen family. They're literally the richest in the world.Rylie just left Stacey in the dust. What a climb."

Stacey tried to leave before things got worse. But fate had other plans. She turned too quickly and crashed into a classmate carrying a hot lunch. Soup splattered down her front, drenching her in oily/ broth. The crowd burst into laughter. She let out a loud, humiliated yeIp and ran off with her head down.

From that moment on, whatever was left of her reputation had been stripped away. The girl everyone once envied was now a cautionary tale.

··.

Inside the steakhouse, Rylie sat between Brad and Deandre, the three of them tossing around casual talk about Marcus, Midway through, Deandre remembered something."Oh right. Marcus has a friend in Crolens.He's putting together a solo concert there and wants you to play."

r

Rylie smiled faintly. "I'Il skip it. I'm not that great. Just a hobbyist. I'd rather sit in the crowd."

Deandre nodded after a pause. "Fair enough. I'll pass the word. We'll ask Paola instead. You and I can juISt eat snacks and enjoy the show."

While he spoke, he noticed Brad across the table, quietly slicing his steak with extreme care but not touching any of it. Deandre couldn't hold back. "What's with the tiny cuts? You planning to serve a toddler?"

Brad didn't answer right away. He carved one last bite-sized piece, then calmly pushed the plate toward Rylie and took the one she had nibbled from. The movement was smooth, unfussy, almost practiced.

Rylie blinked at the steak he'd taken. "I've already tasted that one."

Brad gave a shrug. "Doesn't bother me."

Rylie was momentarily at a loss for words.

Deandre leaned forward. "Wait, are you seriously cutting steak for her?"

Brad finally looked himn in the eye. "If a man can't take care of a woman younger than him, then what's the point of being older? You didn't do it. So I stepped in."

Deandre clenched his jaw. "That's not how this is supposed to go." The tension in his voice gave him away.Brad hadn't done anything loud or dramatic. Still, everything about him was getting under Deandre's skin,and he couldn't figure out why