Chapter 566:
Rylie set the cup down and tapped a paper on the table with one finger. A faint smile touched her lips. “I told you before. You chose not to believe me.” She had warned them that their place in the Nexus Future project was gone. Still, they had brushed her off, clinging to Zaylee’s empty promises.
“This is personal revenge!” Beatrice’s voice rose, sharp and trembling. “I didn’t even blame you for hurting my daughter. How could you do this to us? Do you want the whole room to know?”
Another parent jumped in quickly, desperate to smooth things over. “She’s right, Miss Owen. Let’s end this now. Call it our mistake. But destroying people’s jobs, their futures — isn’t that going too far?” By then, nearly everyone in the hall had turned toward them.
Rylie’s smile remained steady. “This isn’t payback. The blacklisting didn’t happen just because of this.”
Beatrice’s face contorted. “Then what else would it be?”
Rylie stayed silent, giving only a brief nod to the host. Moments later, the venue’s massive screens lit up with footage. It showed a lively restaurant scene, women gathered around a long table, laughing, chatting, and showering the woman at the head seat with extravagant gifts.
A faint, jumbled audio clip followed.
The meaning was impossible to miss. Beatrice and her companions were caught fawning over the woman in the main seat, eager to win the Nexus Future project. The gifts they offered weren’t small favors — they were luxury handbags, glittering jewelry, and more.
By the time the clip ended, whispers rippled through the crowd.
Beatrice hadn’t seen it coming. The idea that Rylie could dig up their bribery and display it for everyone was unthinkable. Panic flashed across her face. The others in her group stiffened like statues.
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Her thoughts scrambled for an escape until one lifeline came to mind — Zaylee’s connection to the Morgan family. When it came to influence, the Owens were nothing compared to a political powerhouse like the Morgans.
Bolstered by the thought, Beatrice gave a smug smile. “Zaylee is Mr. Morgan’s girlfriend. Those gifts came from Mrs. Cullen — a friendly gesture from a close acquaintance. The Morgan family had already settled the deal.”
“Oh, really?” The room’s tension broke with a mocking laugh. A business owner from the shortlist leaned forward with a smirk. “Did you seriously bid on these properties without knowing the Owen family owns all of Nexus Future? The Morgans are only the builders. They take their three hundred million in construction fees and walk away. This entire district has nothing to do with them.”
Another voice interjected, “And what authority does this Mrs. Cullen — Mr. Morgan’s so-called future mother-in-law — have to promise you anything?”
“Sounds like you’ve been played.” The crowd’s murmur grew.
“I’m lost here. When did Mr. Morgan get a mother-in-law? Who is this woman?”
“And Zaylee? Since when is she his girlfriend?”
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