Chapter 98

Brad rose from his chair, leaving the top buttons of his black shirt undone. His cool and distant manner made his good looks even more striking. He looked straight at Rylie through the screen. "Where's Selah?"

"She's right here with me." Rylie turned her phone,showing Selah and a few others seated beside her.

When Brad leaned into the light, his appearance stunned the older women for a moment. His charm hit them so fast that it left their senses scrambled.

Evie couldn't help but compare him to her own son-in -Law. Brad looked far more refined, even through a screen.

She asked,"Leona told me you're dating Rylie now. Is that true?"

Brad gave a gentle smile. "I am.Does that bother you?"

Rylie blink<ed fast, surprised. She leaned in toward the screen, trying to catch his eyes.

Wasn't he supposed to make things easier? Why was he only making it worse?

But he looked right into the camera and smiled like nothing was wrong. The sunlight washed over his face.and those women fell for it just like that

Leona followed up with another question. "What does your family do? We just want to make sure Rylie isn't being misled."

Brad nodded politely. "I'm not sure why there's been any confusion. My family's been in the military for generations. As a soldier, I've always held myself to a higher moral standard."

Leona turned her head slightly and gave Evie a look."A soldier? That's wonderful." Then she added as she glanced at Evie, "And to think we believed Rylie had been left behind. She's clearly moved on to someone even better."

Brad let out a low laugh. "She didn't chase me. I begged her to give me a chance."

Selah finally smiled, her tension fading. "I'm glad to hear that."

But Rylie already knew Brad had gone too far. If he kept spinning stories like this, no one would know what to believe.

She pulled the phone away and said, "That's enough.He's working today. We shouldn't bother him."

Once she got Evie and Leona out the door. Selah went back to her patients. Rylie stepped into the yard.phone still in hand. She turned her camera back on.Have you forgotten what I had asked you to do earlier?"

Brad smiled softly. "Wasn't this better? Selah's calm now. If she figured out it was a lie, the neighborhood gossip would've hit her harder."

Even without a full explanation, Brad had already figured out what was going on.

He leaned against the window,looking straight at her."Do you think I handled it wrong?"

Rylie let out a slow sigh. "Let's just leave it as is."

"Alright." His gaze stayed on her. There was something unreadable in his eyes. His voice dropped low and soft."My girl."

Her chest tightened as she ended the call.

Since the Wesdown International Piano Competition's preliminary round had been suspended, Rylie's name didn't appear on the list. Neither Paola nor her circle could find her anywhere.

Isabeila looked over the list and smiled "Paola, you came in third With a bit more effort, you can take the whole thing I wonder how Rylie feels right now-must be humiliating not even making it past the first round.

Paola kept her smile soft."I've got dinner with Johnny and the others, so I can't stay long."

Isabella's face brightened. "I wish I could come too."

"Okay, let's go together. I'll mention it to Johnny. I'm sure he won't mind," said Paola.

Isabella clung to her arm, cheerful. "You're the best friend I've ever had."

Paola smiled again, but it never reached her eyes. She wasn't just doing this out of kindness. She knew Rylie would attend the gathering. Using Isabella to spread the rumor about Rylie failing the preliminaries seemed convenient.

Rylie, on the other hand, had received the same invitation. She remembered Johnny. He once spoke up for her. His family held power in the shipping business.

She decided to go but chose to come late. She had more urgent matters to deal with.

The Kirks had given up what little they had left to fund Nicolas lea surgery even letting go of their home

Rylie booked the surgery at the military hospital. She told the family that only the patient would be allowed to see her.

They had no choice but to agree. It was a matter of life and death.

When Rylie arrived at the hospital, Rory had already anesthetized Nicolas. He looked at the girl walking in,his gaze complex. "Why did you change your mind and decide to save the Kirk family member? Nicolas 'legs are difficult to treat. He's delayed treatment for so long that even if he recovers, he'll be crippled."

She let out a short laugh. "This isn't about kindness.It's a fair exchange. I don't deal in loss."

"The Kirk company isn't worth much," Rory said. "Even if you take most of their shares, you'll gain little."

"I know," she said. "But I don't want it for the money."After pulling on her gloves, she walked up to Nicolas and looked down at his pale face. "That company's just leverage."

The Garretts had control over assets once held by the Owens. Kendrick's plan was simple. Let her hold ground in Crolens, a place where the Owens lacked footing.

She picked up the scalpel. "We're starting."

Because of the extent of the damage, the operation ran seven hours straight. By the end of it, fatigue was all over her face. Still, it was a success, and Rory didn't hold back his praise.

"That was remarkable. I filmed it-it'll help our med students." He added, "We've got a little dinner tonight.Just a few folks from the department. You in?"

She removed her gloves, pulled off her mask, and reached for a drink. "I've got another event tonight.I'm late as it is. It wouldn't be right to miss it."

"You're not who you used to be," said Rory. "Make sure you don't stay up too late."

By the time she got to the venue, the gathering was already underway.

She opened the door to the private room and heard Isabella's loud laugh. "Well, if it isn't our little piano star,Miss Owen. We thought you skipped out because you didn't pass the Wesdown preliminaries. I almost dropped by your house to cheer you up."

Laughter broke out around the table. Paola sat beside Johnny, sipping red wine like it was part of a routine.A small look of pride crept across her face.

Johnny looked like he was about to speak,but then Rylie walked in. Her expression stayed calm.

"Sorry I'm late. I had a surgery." She tossed her coat over a chair and gave the room a glance. "Did I miss anything interesting?"

"Quite a bit," Isabella said, her tone sharp.were just saying how some people aim too high by joinìng the Wesdown competition."