Chapter 567:
“Last I heard from the military, Mr. Morgan’s girlfriend seems to be Rylie. Isn’t that the young lady right there?”
The words hit Perla like a slap. She stood in her waitress uniform, rooted to the spot, her ears ringing as the video replayed in her mind.
Earlier that day, Brad had asked her to help with the Nexus Future event. She had jumped at the chance, happy to serve someone so important, even if it meant waiting tables. Now, she stared at a polished stranger pretending to be her — claiming to be Zaylee’s mother.
Her eyes found Rylie’s. A heavy emptiness spread through her chest. Memories of Zaylee’s birthday banquet in Savory Haven rushed back — the moment her own daughter had introduced her to others as nothing more than a maid. Now, once again, Zaylee refused to let others know she was her mother.
Perla had always known Zaylee’s hunger for success came without limits. She knew that her daughter saw dignity as the most important thing. But this was the blow that shattered what little pride she had left.
Rylie’s gaze stayed on her as she spoke slowly. “Mrs. Cullen — isn’t Zaylee your daughter?”
Rylie’s voice wasn’t raised, yet it tore through the room like a blast, breaking the stillness in an instant.
Every head turned toward Perla. Beatrice’s glare hit her like a spear.
This waitress was Zaylee’s mother?
At the front, chaos was brewing. Zaylee had kept herself hidden, hoping to slip away unnoticed. She had figured out that Felix was behind everything and was inching toward the exit when Brock stepped in her way, smiling. “Miss Cullen, no need to rush off. We still have unfinished business.”
The color drained from her face. The words left her before she could stop them. “Is Brad part of this too?”
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“I’m just following orders.” Brock grinned and stepped aside as two others brought a woman forward from the back.
The moment Zaylee’s eyes landed on her, panic gripped her.
With the ease of someone corralling wayward children, Brock hauled Zaylee and the impostor “Mrs. Cullen” to the front.
The spotlight caught them both, laying bare their disheveled state.
Zaylee’s hands trembled, her hair undone, her voice breaking. “No! No!” The impostor looked even worse. Her skin was ashen, her designer dress wrinkled and stripped of its glamour.
Facing Rylie, the woman blurted out in a rush, “I’m not Mrs. Cullen! Zaylee paid me to pretend to be her mother. She thought her real mom — a woman from the slums — would be too shameful to bring here.”
Desperate to prove it, she dug into her pocket and pulled out her employee card. “I work at Crolens Film Studio. I’m an actress. See? You can confirm it online if you doubt my words. Surely you wouldn’t send me to jail, would you? I swear I’ll never do this again!”
She pointed straight at Perla. “That’s her real mother. She works for the Morgan family. This pair has been lying to all of you!”
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