Chapter 489

“Mrs. Cullen” kept her smile steady. “As long as he treats my daughter right, I’ll have no complaints.”

The food in front of Rylie had already been served, but she wasn’t interested anymore. Her attention had drifted to the women sitting at the table nearby.

She leaned back slightly, gave “Mrs. Cullen” a quick glance, then turned to Brad.

“Looks like that woman over there might be your future mother-in-law.”

Brad narrowed his eyes. “That doesn’t sound like Perla.” He didn’t need to see her face to know it wasn’t her.

Brad picked up a bowl and started pouring soup for Rylie. “Watch all you want. Just don’t forget to eat.”

The soup turned out to be better than expected. While Rylie took a few sips, she listened to the women next to them fuss over the fake “Mrs. Cullen.” They were eager to get their husbands’ businesses into the district and thought gifts would help seal the deal.

The woman playing the role of Zaylee’s mother had been hired for ten grand. Now, she sat there starry-eyed at the sight of expensive bags and jewelry worth ten times what she’d been paid.

She had never been around that much luxury before. If she sold just a few of those things secondhand, she’d make more than her entire fee.

After all, if Zaylee had lied to begin with, what harm was there in pocketing a few gifts?

She acted hesitant but took everything anyway, pretending she was doing them a favor by accepting. In circles like this, everyone knew the deal. Gifts weren’t free. They were promises waiting to be cashed in.

Once the meal ended, the gift-givers were confident they had secured a spot. They imagined praise from their husbands was just around the corner. But the fake “Mrs. Cullen” slipped away with all the gifts and never contacted Zaylee again.

Rylie had seen enough. She finished her soup, wiped her lips with a napkin, and set down her fork. “Looks like your fiancée’s made quite the mess. Want a hand cleaning it up?”

Brad raised a brow. “Help with what exactly?”

She answered, “You’re running the construction part, but my brother handles who gets in. Seems like they’ve been sucking up to the wrong person.”

Brad leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable.

His expression remained indifferent. “My grandfather made a mistake with the Cullen family’s matter from the start — he should have just given them some money and let them live their own lives. He shouldn’t have agreed to let Perla and Zaylee stay here. Zaylee’s character can’t withstand any temptation. Her personality is completely twisted.”

He paused, then added, “Our family’s not off the hook either. My grandfather spoiled her for too long. It’s time she went back to the life she came from.”

Brad had always let things slide when it came to Zaylee, mostly out of respect for his grandfather. But she had crossed too many lines.

“Also—” He tapped his fingers against the table. “Fiancée? I never agreed to that. I’ll put those rumors to rest. Just have your brother take care of one thing for me.”

Rylie blinked. “What do you mean?”

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