Chapter 687:
Stunned, he bolted, his chest tight with panic. His phone buzzed endlessly. Message after message showed his scandal plastered everywhere. The weight of it crashed over him, and he collapsed.
Meanwhile, Rylie walked with Zander toward the lobby. Ainsley ran up, mascara streaking her cheeks. Her voice shook as she begged, “I didn’t know you were Deandre’s sister. I was wrong before. Please forgive me.”
She stopped and studied the trembling girl. “When you pushed an ordinary person into online torment, did you ever think about the consequences? How many others have you hurt?”
“I’ll never do it again, Miss Owen. Please!” Ainsley dropped to her knees, her words tumbling out. “I fought for years to get here. I can’t lose it all now!”
Rylie stepped around her without another glance.
She felt nothing for people like that. If she were an ordinary woman, she would have been the one destroyed.
Zander caught up and matched her pace. “Heading to Malvren next?”
She shot him a quick look. “And how would you know that?”
“Just a hunch.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “You seem worried about that illegal factory in Malvren. Plus, I heard you bought out Sweetberry, the Garrett family’s company. You wouldn’t walk into something messy without a solid reason.”
Rylie arched her brow. “You’re sharper than I thought.”
“Then let me trade you something. I know the Malvren roads like the back of my hand. Let me come with you,” he said, his tone steady. “That place used to crawl with swindlers, and I don’t like the thought of you walking in alone. I can help.”
Rylie stopped and faced him. “That won’t be necessary. In return, all I ask is that you represent Sweetberry as its ambassador and walk the runway at Meridian Future. Nothing more.”
Zander paused, then pulled out a folded sheet. “When I was trapped in that dye factory, I sketched every possible escape. I marked the safest routes here. You might never need them, but keep them anyway.”
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Rylie took the hand-drawn map from him.
At the entrance, a sleek black SUV waited.
The window slid down, and a man’s striking face came into view. “Get in.”
Seeing Brad behind the wheel, Zander let go of his plan to walk her out. “I’ll keep my promise. Take care on the road.”
Rylie nodded and climbed into the SUV. “What are you doing free today?”
“Kyla messaged you. Didn’t you see?” Brad replied as he started the engine.
“She wants you to meet her for lunch. Says it’s important.”
Rylie glanced at her phone. “I was judging a competition earlier. I missed it.”
The SUV rolled out of Evergreen Media Works’ lot, passing a police car pulling up.
Brad’s eyes flicked toward it, his voice calm but firm. “The police will lock up the people who set you up. My legal team is pushing for the harshest sentences. Every one of them will pay.”
Kyla waited in a private dining room at a quiet restaurant.
When Rylie arrived, Kyla immediately closed the door, turning with a serious expression. “The designer you hired is suspected of plagiarism. Did you know? If this gets out, your brand’s image could collapse overnight.”
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