Chapter 1246:
A subtle smile crossed Rylie’s lips. “Do you seriously believe that a global arms dealer can’t stand against Havenridge Group — a company that started as a simple trust fund?” She stepped closer, her gaze unwavering. “I can’t tell whether your father is merely proud of you, or whether he simply underestimates me.”
“We’re prepared for a confrontation,” Kari replied calmly, “if you intend to drag your family into the wreckage.”
“My family won’t fall,” Rylie said, her voice sharpening. “The fatal mistake has already been made — and it was yours.”
“What mistake?” Kari asked, a flicker of curiosity crossing her face.
о𝗋𝗀аn𝗂𝘻𝗲 у𝗈𝘶𝘳 𝗹𝗶𝗯𝗿𝘢ry о𝘯 𝗴𝗮𝘭ո𝗼𝗏e𝗹s.с𝗈m
Rylie didn’t answer. She simply turned and walked away.
Back in the ballroom, Brad stood at the center of a crowd, making his first public appearance since the staged crash. He raised his glass repeatedly, his cheeks flushed with color, the quiet signs of intoxication becoming difficult to conceal.
Rylie settled into a seat at the edge of the room, her gaze thoughtful and sharp.
The neurotoxin still present in Brad’s system had been kept in check over time through medication and Snow Mint, never allowed to flare. But now, the Havenridge Group had implanted a nerve-disrupting chip, throwing that carefully maintained balance into disorder. If it triggered — Rylie considered silently whether Kari had any idea what she would be dealing with.
Having drunk more than he should have, Brad quietly excused himself from the crowd and made his way upstairs to a private lounge. He shoved the door open, pulled off his tie, and stepped into the bathroom, his head throbbing. Bending over the sink, he splashed icy water across his face in an attempt to clear his mind.
The bathroom door opened behind him.
He caught Rylie’s reflection in the mirror.
He reached for a towel and dried his face before turning to face her, his voice rough. “Get out. This is my private lounge.”
Rylie reached into her bag, produced a small candy, stepped toward him, and unwrapped it. “Eat this.”
“Who do you think you are?” he said with a short, dismissive scoff, moving to refuse. Before he could stop her, she placed the candy in her own mouth, took hold of him by the back of the neck, and drew him forward. He should have been able to resist her easily — yet the faint, distinctive scent she carried seemed to cloud his thoughts. Almost without deciding to, he surrendered, allowing her to pass the candy, coated with the warmth of her mouth, onto his tongue.
For one brief second, their lips and tongues met. Brad’s heart lurched with a force that startled him. His mind churned with agitation — a sharp, insistent signal from somewhere deeper warning him that he was making a mistake, that he was betraying Kari.
Rylie released him almost immediately. She wiped her lips with a casual gesture, held his gaze for a moment, and walked out without a word.
Within minutes, Kari pushed open the lounge door to find Brad sitting alone on the sofa, a look on his face she couldn’t quite read. A tight, uneasy knot formed in her chest.
“Who were you just with?”
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