Chapter 448
But just as she was drifting off, her phone rang. It was Letty. Half-asleep, Zaylee answered. The moment she heard the voice on the other end, she snapped awake.
“What? The answers?”
Zaylee hesitated. “I don’t need—”
Letty cut her off, her voice sharp. “You haven’t been honest with me. Did you really rank 99th on that exam? Not even in the top fifty? Was it just carelessness, or have you not been paying attention in class?”
Zaylee was at a loss for words, struggling to defend herself after a long silence. “I just have a serious subject imbalance, and I haven’t been in Crolens long enough to catch up. Next time, I’m sure I’ll come out on top!”
She couldn’t admit the truth. She didn’t want to lose face. The gap between her hometown’s education and Crolens’ was just too wide.
Letty sighed and closed her eyes for a moment. “If Rylie wants to play games, then I’ll play too.”
She wasn’t about to let Rylie outshine her. A teacher’s reputation was built on their student’s success.
In the end, Zaylee accepted the email Letty sent and began memorizing every answer.
The questions were meant for the Advanced Honors Class — far beyond her level. But the thought of beating Melany and defeating Rylie, the woman trying to steal Brad, ignited a fierce determination within her. With eyes full of resolve, she focused entirely, repeating the answers over and over in her mind.
Eventually, the chaos reached Brad, who was still tied up with Ronan’s affairs.
Brock gave a brief rundown of the situation, focusing on Zaylee. “Apparently, during the recent monthly exam at Brightwood High, Zaylee accused her classmate, Melany, of cheating. The claim is that Melany’s tutor used connections to slip her the answers, helping her break into the top fifty. The case has now reached the Department of Education, but there’s no solid proof of any wrongdoing. Should we visit the school tomorrow to handle it?”
Brad flipped through the document without a flicker of emotion. “From now on, don’t report anything related to Rylie to me.”
Brock blinked, stunned. He hadn’t even mentioned Rylie!
He shot a cautious glance at the man seated behind the desk. Brad’s mood had been icy ever since he returned from delivering gifts to the Owen family. The air around him was so cold that it kept everyone at a distance.
One clueless soldier had once teased Brad about his ‘progress’ with Rylie and suggested they celebrate soon. That night, the poor guy was ordered to run twenty laps around the training ground — and barely made it to bed.
After a pause, Brock asked carefully, “Should we do something about Zaylee?” Brad’s lips curved into a slight smirk. “Do you think Rylie is so foolish that she needs others’ help?”
Brock nearly choked. He’d been talking about Zaylee the whole time! Zaylee! Yet somehow, every mention of her name seemed to be automatically replaced with “Rylie” in Brad’s mind!
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