Chapter 31:
A shadow crossed Stacey’s features, and she let her shoulders droop, her voice trembling. “Leland, marrying Fred was never what I wanted! He only talked to me because he was upset about Rylie, not because I encouraged him. And I just see him as a friend of mine. I swear, I never meant to take Rylie’s place.”
Trying to appear earnest, Stacey fumbled with her phone. “I’ll call Fred right now and tell him not to go through with it. Rylie’s the one who truly belongs with him.”
Leland held up a hand, shaking his head. “Don’t bother, Stacey. You’re the Kirk family’s real daughter. Mom and Dad think the match is only natural. If you and Fred agree, then everything falls into place.”
Stacey lowered her eyes and spoke meekly. “Alright, I’ll go along with what you and the family decide, but please — I don’t want Rylie to believe I’m trying to steal her fiancé. Let me talk to her myself.”
He gave a nod. “That’s fair. Go ahead.”
With the Kirk family’s standing slipping and their relationship with the powerful Morgan family in tatters, their prospects had never looked dimmer. The Dury family’s fortunes…
Meanwhile, the Dury family’s fortunes were on the rise, especially with rumored business ties to the influential Owen family of Kouhron. An alliance through Stacey was a strategic move, but it was Rylie who would bear the shame — Crolens would gossip for weeks about her downfall.
On the eve of the Kirk family’s banquet, a striking group swept into Rory’s office at the military base, turning heads wherever they passed.
Without preamble, the eldest among them — a man whose presence seemed to bend the air — fixed Rory with a piercing gaze. “You’re the one in possession of Rylie’s blood sample, aren’t you?” he asked, every syllable edged with authority and haste.
Rory froze in surprise, needing a moment to gather his thoughts. “May I ask who you are?”
From among these visitors, a person who looked like a butler stepped forward to explain, “We represent the Owen family of Kouhron. This is our patriarch, Mr. Kendrick Owen.”
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Of course, Rory recognized that name — Kouhron’s influential Owen family had made headlines, and he recalled that Kendrick’s own grandson had recently arrived in Crolens for a major surgery.
Rory took a measured breath before responding. “I can’t just hand over someone’s blood sample on a whim. At the very least, you owe me an explanation.”
The butler immediately launched into an explanation, his voice low but clear. “Mr. Owen’s granddaughter vanished years ago in Fernridge. We’ve traced possible leads here, and we’re hoping to confirm her identity through DNA testing.”
Weighing his options, Rory nodded slowly. Yes, Rylie’s blood was stored in the hospital bank. Years ago, her sister had been badly injured in an accident, and her brothers had brought her repeatedly to donate. The Kirk family insisted on saving the remaining samples for emergencies.
Kendrick’s expression turned thunderous. “They took her blood when she was just a teenager? Who in their right mind would do that to my granddaughter?”
Rory’s own conscience pricked at him; the Kirk family’s callousness was no secret. Had Rylie not pulled him back from death once, he might never have realized how much she’d suffered. By chance or cruel design, Rylie and Stacey had the same blood type.
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