Chapter 294
“I didn’t know. I am really sorry,” she said quietly.
“Is there something wrong with the mint? You seemed pretty focused on it.” Melany tilted her head, her voice more curious than accusatory.
Rylie took another bite of pie before resting her fork on the plate. “This isn’t just any mint. It’s called Snow Mint. It usually grows in remote forests filled with toxic plants. It’s incredibly rare, and normal soil can’t sustain it. The extract is used in high-grade pharmaceuticals — it’s worth a fortune.”
Melany and Dottie froze in stunned silence. A moment later, Melany’s eyes turned glassy. “Now I get why Dad kept telling Mom to take care of it. It was the last thing he left us.”
Dottie’s fingers gripped the edge of the table. Her voice wavered. “You’re saying… it’s valuable? People would pay for it?”
Rylie nodded, her expression calm but firm. “I want to buy the Snow Mint. I’ll pay a fair price. In return, I’ll make sure Melany gets into any college she wants. I’ll help her chase whatever future she dreams of.”
Dottie’s hands shook, her voice caught between disbelief and hope. “Are you being serious?”
It felt like the universe had handed them a miracle.
“I mean it.” Rylie gave a steady nod. “But you don’t have to decide right away.” Dottie hadn’t fully grasped who Rylie really was, but seeing the fire in her daughter’s eyes gave her courage. “If you’re offering Melany a real future, then the mint is yours — no payment needed.”
A faint smile tugged at Rylie’s lips. “Then it’s a deal.”
She turned to Melany, her tone shifting to business. “But my time is limited. I can give you two hours each evening — no more. Make sure all your homework’s done before we meet.”
Melany paused, thinking it through. “Would it be okay if I came after my evening classes? I’ll have all my homework done by then.”
Rylie weighed the back-and-forth trips and shook her head. “Forget the evening sessions. Starting tomorrow, you’ll ride with Zaylee to the Morgan estate instead. The butler will have a study room ready, and I’ll drop in when I’m free. That work for you?”
This question was directed not only to Melany but also to Brad.
Rylie nodded eagerly. “Sure!”
Brad added, “I’ll have the butler make the arrangements.”
That evening, Rylie paid a visit to the Snow Mint Dottie had planted.
The mint grew beside a stream on the farm, nourished by clean mountain spring water. The soil looked ordinary, not the kind where Snow Mint typically thrived.
As Rylie crouched down and reached toward the plant, Dottie quickly stopped her. “Don’t touch it with your bare hands. There are tons of mosquitoes and bugs around here. Every time I come out to turn the soil or add fertilizer, my hands swell.”
“Swell up?”
“Sometimes they even ooze pus.”
Rylie pulled her hand back at once. There were no companion plants around — usually, some toxic herbs grew nearby to support Snow Mint. If the soil itself was toxic, that could explain the imbalance.
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