Chapter 38:
Not even pausing, Rylie strode away, leaving no sign of regret behind.
Watching her go, Tessa struggled to process the finality of it all. Pain shot through her legs, and she clung to Stacey for support. “Ah…”
Swiftly, Leland moved to steady Tessa by her other arm, concern written all over his face. “Are you alright, Mom?”
A sharp ache shot through Tessa’s legs. She clenched her jaw and called out, “Bring me my medicine at once.”
One of the servants shuffled forward, uncertainty in her voice. “Madam, you finished the last dose yesterday. There’s nothing left for today.”
Displeasure flared in Tessa’s eyes. “Why wasn’t it ready ahead of time? Do I have to remind you every single time?”
Casting a worried look toward the doorway where Rylie had just vanished, the servant spoke quietly. “Miss Rylie Kirk was always the one who handled your medicine. Without her, no one here knows the exact recipe.”
That revelation left Tessa speechless. Despite having severe rheumatism for years, Rylie had carefully mixed the medication for her each time it was needed. Therefore, she had nearly forgotten about the seriousness of this illness.
As she noticed her mother’s sudden silence, Stacey’s heart skipped a beat. She moved in to comfort Tessa with a gentle embrace. “It’s alright, Mom. I’ll do everything Rylie once did. I’ll work hard to study medicine with the teachers — and even with Rylie herself if she’ll let me — until I can heal your legs.”
Tessa’s heart swelled with gratitude at her daughter’s devotion. “Stacey, you’re so much better than Rylie ever was. I have faith you’ll restore my health.”
While watching this emotional moment between these two people, Leland couldn’t quiet his growing sense of conflict.
The unease grew inside him. He suspected that letting Rylie walk away from the Kirk family would be a mistake none of them could ever undo.
Outside, Rylie barely made it past the Kirk estate gates before a sudden roadblock forced her to stop. A chorus of shouting echoed overhead.
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Her gaze swept across the street, where a fleet of sleek Maybachs lined the curb, their uniform presence interrupted only by five helicopters descending from above, blades roaring before settling neatly nearby.
Luxury cars were no strangers to the Kirk neighborhood, but an entire parade of rare Maybachs, paired with helicopters, made even Rylie pause — she had never seen such extravagant power on display.
Believing she could simply steer around it and that it was just another wealthy family showing up, she tried to skirt the blockade. However, dozens of bodyguards emerged from the cars, dressed in perfectly fitted suits and earpieces, arranging themselves in two rigid rows that blocked her path entirely.
Suddenly, the helicopter doors swung wide, and each pilot exited with brisk efficiency, assembling in a neat row while their attention fixed on the central craft.
A glimpse of finely tailored suit pants appeared first as someone stepped onto the landing pad. Emerging from the helicopter, a tall figure radiated authority — his tailored ash-gray suit perfectly matched his striking good looks and refined presence.
Deliberately closing the distance, he approached, his voice carrying a rich, smooth timbre. “You must be Rylie Kirk?”
News of the Owen family’s recent search for a missing sister in Crolens drifted through Rylie’s mind, giving her a hunch about this stranger, though she wasn’t fully convinced. “Are you supposed to be my brother?” she questioned, her voice uncertain.
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