Chapter 769:
Kyla let out a sharp click of her tongue. “She must have found someone with more power than Deandre, or else she’d never have the nerve.”
“With more power? Only the top officials here would have the audacity to go against me,” Deandre answered evenly.
Rylie blinked, her bright eyes stirring an unfamiliar warmth in him. Giving her cheek a playful pinch, he said, “Shouldn’t you be treating me to a meal?”
“Of course, you really saved me back there.” Rylie brushed his hand aside and asked with a smile, “So, what do you want to eat?”
Before he could answer, a little girl came running over with a large bouquet clutched in her arms. “Miss Owen! Miss Owen! These flowers are for you!”
She dropped the bundle of yellow roses into Rylie’s arms, then dashed away as quickly as she had appeared.
Breathing in the sweet scent, Rylie looked at Deandre with a sigh. “Deandre, why are you giving me roses? Don’t try your usual charm tactics on me. It’s weird.”
“No, it wasn’t me.” Deandre’s gaze flicked to the bouquet, his brow creasing. “So which scoundrel is sending you flowers now?”
Rylie blinked in confusion. “I honestly don’t know.”
“Could be Brad,” Kyla remarked with a sly lilt. “Secret gestures like this are just his style.”
Rylie stiffened in surprise. “Brad was here?”
Fiona nodded. “Yes. It was because of you he agreed to lend us his company’s helicopter. Without that, no matter how fast we booked a flight, we never would have reached the competition in time.”
The pieces fell into place, and Rylie turned back to Deandre. “Then what about the USB drive? Did you manage to restore the surveillance footage from backstage?”
Deandre gave a slow shake of his head, his expression edged with puzzlement. “I can repair a motorbike or fine-tune a gun, but when it comes to hacking? That’s not my field.”
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Rylie’s suspicions sharpened. It had to have been Brad. Yet if he had been nearby all along, why hadn’t he come forward?
“Where’s Brad?”
Kyla answered, “It seems he had a mission to attend to. When I arrived on his helicopter, I spotted several fighter jets in the distance. Something must have happened out at sea that demanded his immediate presence.”
Deandre caught the thoughtful look crossing Rylie’s face. Worried she might be preoccupied with Brad, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and steered her attention elsewhere. “That’s his business. We’ve got our own plans. Since we’re by the ocean, why don’t we catch some fresh fish and treat ourselves to a real seafood feast?”
Rylie’s lips curved slightly as she nodded. “That sounds nice.”
Deandre reserved a coastal restaurant with panoramic views of the waves. The group gathered at a long table, laughter and conversation flowing as the evening deepened. Outside, the sea grew restless, waves pounding the rocks beneath the cliffs, while soft strains of music drifted through the air.
Not long after, a call came in from Sweetberry’s headquarters in Crolens with thrilling news. The Four Seasons collection had gone viral online. Collectors and socialites across the globe were clamoring to purchase the entire set, and the single link to the official website had been forced offline under the flood of demand, soaring to unprecedented fame.
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