Chapter 502:
“Rylie, can’t you just stay out of the way? You already have everything. Let Zaylee have a chance,” said the girl in front, Connie Truman, Zaylee’s most devoted follower. She had crossed paths with Rylie before during tutoring sessions.
Connie was aware that Rylie came from money and lived in Serenity Manor, but in her eyes, that status still paled in comparison to the Morgan family. Rylie lifted an eyebrow. “A chance with what, exactly?”
“Admiral Morgan is only using you to force Zaylee into accepting his proposal,” Connie said. “You should really stay away from him. He doesn’t care about you.”
Rylie remained unfazed. “Are you finished?”
Connie’s jaw tightened at Rylie’s calm tone. “I’m just warning you. Even if your family is wealthy, Zaylee could bring it to ruin in a heartbeat.”
“Oh, how scary.” Rylie lifted an eyebrow, a faint, teasing smile curling at the edge of her lips. “Is she truly that powerful?”
She leaned her head slightly to the side, her eyes drifting toward the crowd of students, each one swayed by Zaylee’s false charm and quick to rise in her defense. Her expression stayed unruffled, as if she were quietly observing a gathering of harmless pets.
“Yes!” Connie, misreading Rylie’s poise as uncertainty, straightened her back and raised her voice. “Zaylee will marry Admiral Morgan. That kind of status is far beyond your reach! If you know what’s good for you, you’ll stay away from him and avoid creating problems for yourself.”
Rylie gave a quiet laugh. The sound was soft, yet it cut through the air like glass—cool and laced with disdain.
“Then, please let her know I’m waiting for her to bankrupt my family.”
As Rylie walked away, Connie stared after her, feeling a sharp wave of frustration that she couldn’t quite explain. She kicked at the grass, her voice rising in complaint. “Why does Rylie always act like that? So smug and untouchable. And Zaylee, she’s just as frustrating! What was she thinking turning down Admiral Morgan’s proposal? She must be completely out of her mind!”
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A girl standing next to her spoke up, her tone more measured. “We still need Zaylee’s mother to open doors for our families in the business world. Everything depends on Zaylee’s ties with the Morgan family. If we want to succeed later on, it’s better to stay quiet and endure it for now.”
Connie let out a breath, the tension in her shoulders slowly easing. “Yeah… you’re right.”
Rylie walked up to the jeep, glancing around to make sure the area was clear. She was just about to unlock her phone when a voice called out from the cargo section. “Over here.”
She turned in the direction of the sound.
Inside the wide cargo space, a corner of the dark green tarp had been pulled back slightly.
Brad was stretched out beneath it, one leg bent lazily while the other dangled over the edge. It looked like he had just woken from a short nap. His military jacket lay tossed aside, and he wore a snug dark shirt with the top two buttons undone, exposing the line of his collarbone and a glimpse of bare skin.
The mountain night’s breeze lifted his slightly tousled short hair, letting a few strands fall across his broad forehead, lending a rare hint of ease and disarray to his otherwise composed expression.
Moonlight, pale as silver frost, spilled over him, tracing the strong line of his tall, solid frame.
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.
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