Chapter 156
Chapter 156:
She pushed off the motorcycle at once, her expression sharpening. “Who told you p>
Scratching the back of his head, Devin answered, “Laurel doesn’t trust anyone. I’ve had a listening device hidden in her room for years. I check in now and then p>
That caught Rylie off guard. A small laugh escaped. “Well, that clears that up p>
Then Devin glanced sideways, almost embarrassed. “So… does this count as fixing what I messed up p>
Back when the incident with the maritime weapons broke out, every team was out on assignment. According to the rules, Devin shouldn’t have taken on freelance work.
She wiped the smile from her face and replied with a straight tone, “All the money you made will be seized. It’ll be split among those still grinding in the field p>
He gave a firm nod. That wasn’t even close to harsh.
“I’ll make sure they’re looked after,” he said. “Should I stay out of Laurel’s way now p>
“No,” she answered. “Go ahead and finish the job p>
Rylie was well aware that upon returning to the Owen family, she was under countless watchful eyes. Her image, which had been deliberately tarnished by Stacey in the Kirk family, still lingered in their minds.
She had to prove them wrong. Every single one of them.
Since Paola repeatedly sought confrontation, Rylie didn’t think there was any need for her to show mercy time and again. Paola wanted to use her as a stepping stone? That would be her gravest mistake.
Devin couldn’t figure out what Rylie was really after, but he still followed her instructions.
The night he received the high-definition video, he put his editing skills to work. He spliced the footage, jumbled the timeline, and inserted another clip—this one showing Paola’s self-directed performance. Thanks to his talent, hardly anyone could tell that the final cut was fake when it hit the internet.
That same night, a video surfaced of Paola finishing her music score and heading into Rylie’s room to share it. Later, the footage showed her returning to retrieve it. The clip spread like wildfire.
Your imagination thrives at Fiuntocom
By morning, trust-fund kids and socialites couldn’t stop talking about Rylie’s scandal. They claimed she had pulled dirty tricks to steal Paola’s original music and tried to pin the plagiarism on her.
Inside the Garretts’ villa, Laurel scrolled through the flood of online comments with a quiet look of satisfaction. She absentmindedly ran her fingers through her daughter’s hair. “Let’s see how that spoiled brat plans to claw her way out of this p>
Paola kept her eyes glued to the screen, a smug little smile tugging at her lips. “Mom, your plan’s genius. Rylie’s reputation with the elites? Completely trashed. I honestly can’t wait to see how she plans to cling to them now p>
Rylie had seen this coming the moment the video dropped. One after another, people in their circle spoke up for Paola, tearing apart her reputation like vultures. The only person who dared to defend her was Johnny, a man she’d met only once at the banquet.