Chapter 162
Chapter 162:
At the same time, a corruption probe loomed over Crolens’ mayor. The scandal had grown when his secretary was caught up in the massive healthcare scheme tied to the Wilde family, leaving the mayor with little room to deny involvement.
That left only one pressing question: Who had the power to greenlight this shipment into Crolens?
Paola wasted no time filling up the forums and chat rooms during the two-day registration window for the piano competition. What thrilled her most was seeing her own carefully edited video featured front and center on the competition’s official website, playing for everyone on an endless loop. Enthusiastic viewers did not hesitate to call her a genius, saying she played as though music was a language she had always known.
Things could not have been more different for Rylie. The whispers were merciless. All through those circles, people pointed out that she had put her name down for the auditions as well, yet there was not a trace of her performance anywhere. The silence was enough for everyone to assume that she had been bluffing all along, only to be unable to put together a single noteworthy piece or even pass the first round.
Brock had a new routine now. Besides handling daily work reports, he found himself keeping tabs on anything and everything related to Rylie.
“People are turning on Rylie, and the Owens haven’t stepped in. The word is that she’s about to get cast aside by them,” said Brock as he finished reading the latest messages.
Brad glanced up, a thoughtful look flickering in his eyes. “Do you know what she’s been doing lately p>
“She’s stuck to her old habits. She just shuttles between the university’s lab and the military base, not much else. She hasn’t gone back to the Owens’ place. Do you think she’s really been hurt this time and can’t bring herself to return?” Brock’s voice wavered for a moment, but he continued, “Maybe you should go see her p>
The suggestion hung in the air while Brad’s fingers hovered above the table. “Why get involved in someone else’s family drama p>
He knew exactly what would happen if he went. That young woman would look right at him with steady, unfazed eyes, saying, “I don’t need you to step in. I’ll take care of myself p>
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Picturing that, Brad raised his eyebrow. Despite being so young — barely past twenty — she carried herself with a level of grit and composure that most people never developed.
She refused to lean on anyone. That kind of self-reliance was troubling. On impulse, Brad stood, reached for his coat draped over the back of his chair, and walked out of the office.
By the time Rylie finished her chaotic shift in the lab, tension knotted her shoulders. She shrugged off her lab coat and checked her phone out of habit. A message from Freddy at…
Aetheris Pharmacy waited for her. “The Kirk family in Crolens is offering 70 percent of their company if you can fix Nicolas’s leg. Are we moving forward or not, Boss p>
She studied Freddy’s words, tapping her finger on the desk while weighing the Kirk family’s financial standing. Not long ago, the Kirks had been worth less than eighty million, and now seventy percent of that sat on the table. The offer was far from impressive.
Still, a quiet smile played at her lips. Rylie decided she would accept.