hapter 6
Ashton’s offer was hard to turn down–especially the part about owing Briar a favor. That one hit differently.
Getting a favor from the Wade family might not mean much now, but Ashton’s promise carried real weight.
His influence had already outgrown the Wade family’s name. Thinking about her own reasons for coming back to the country, Briar paused.
Noticing her hesitation, Ashton leaned in. “Miss Jennings, you’re still in college, right? With your talent in traditional medicine, it’d be a shame not to study at Shoneport University. I’ve got some pull there if you’re interested, I can help.”
He was sharp. In the short time since learning Briar’s name, Ashton had already looked into her background. And this offer just hit the mark.
Briar smiled, her voice clear and calm. “Deal.”
Ashton pulled out his phone right away. “Let’s exchan
contact info.”
Briar glanced up, catching the friendly look in his eyes. She casually opened WhatsApp and added him.
Right after, Ashton transferred 3 million dollars to her, along with the remaining payment for the pills.
Once the money hit her account, Briar’s mood lightened even more. “Today’s treatment’s done. I’ll be back tomorrow for another session.”
When Ashton heard she was leaving, he nodded, then looked over at Griffin, who was slowly coming around. He turned back to Briar and said politely, “Let me walk you out.”
So the girl who’d swaggered in beside Ashton was now being respectfully escorted out by him.
The Wade family members who’d been eyeing her like a–stray off the street could only look away, too embarrassed to say a word.
Now that Griffin had woken up, all their little plans had gone up in smoke.
“See you,” Briar called out as she swung a leg over her bike. She balanced on one foot, gave the engine a little rev, and waved with the other hand, flashing a surprisingly sweet smile.
Ashton’s face softened. He backed up to make way and replied, “See you tomorrow, Miss Jennings.”
It wasn’t lost on him–ever since he paid her, Briar had been way more
polite. Even her smile felt more genuine.
Ashton quickly figured out what had changed her attitude. He couldn’t help but smile to himself.
Briar rode off cool as ever on her black motorcycle, leaving Ashton with nothing but the sharp, stylish image of her disappearing down the road.
As Ashton kept staring in the direction she’d gone, Morton came over and asked in a low voice, “Mr. Wade, want me to have someone follow her?”
Ashton glanced at Briar’s WhatsApp profile pic–a little black kitten with a fierce look that was more bark than bite. It was just like her.
“No need,” Ashton said. “She’ll be back tomorrow.” He’d already figured out what made Briar tick. As long as he kept that in mind, she wasn’t going anywhere.
Morton looked a little puzzled but nodded. “Got it.”
Out on the busy street, Briar cruised behind a stretch limo on her bike.
It was rush hour, so she didn’t bother cutting through traffic. After all, there was no need to rush.
Just then, her phone rang with Tristan’s custom ringtone. She answered through her Bluetooth. “What’s up?”
Chapter 6
*There’s a new bounty on the Dark Net, Tristan said. “Some Wade guy is offering big money to track me doen. The offices long dan de be Dasminca, is that the same Wade family you mentioned?”
Briar squinted. “Probably
“Probably?” Tristan snapped. “Get on the Dark Net and check who posted it!”
Briar chuckled. “I’m on vacation, and you want me to mess with the Dark Net, huh? Do you realize how much influence they hold in Dasmical Ser like you’re trying to get me arrested.”
That place was crawling with elite hackers. Digging around without a good reason was asking for trouble.
“I don’t care,” Tristan grumbled. “Just find out who it is. If it’s Griffin, maybe I’ll think about coming out of hiding.” He hung up before Briar could shoot
him down.
Briar stared at her phone, speechless.
Tristan was a legend in the medical world, known for his rare and insane Golden Eighty–One Technique. Every rich and powerful person wanted big, but he had just dropped off the face of the earth for some reason.
Money could buy almost anything–except more time. So people never stopped looking for Tristan. On the Dark Net, even a scrap of info about him could go for about 3 million dollars.
If Briar weren’t already loaded, she might’ve cashed in on his location herself.
She sighed, pulled over into an empty spot, and hacked into the Dark Net anyway. It only took a few minutes to pull the data Tristan wanted. She shot it over to him, telling herself it was just a random act of kindness.
Two hours later, Briar rolled back into the Jennings family’s driveway.
It was past 8 PM. Dinner was long over. Inside, the whole family–Edgar, Camden, Beatrice, and Halle–were sitting around whispering in the living room. The second they heard the motorcycle, they all clammed up and turned toward the door. When Briar walked in like she owned the place, their faces immediately dropped.
Briar sneered and ignored them. Her eyes flicked to the spotless dining table before she called to a nearby servant, “Make me some pasta.”
The servant hadn’t met her before, but everyone knew the real heir/had come back today. She glanced at Edgar. When Edgar didn’t object, the servant nodded and headed to the kitchen.
Soon, the servant brought out some cut fruit and set it on the table.
Briar didn’t even glance at the fancy sofa. She dropped into a chair at the dining table, one leg crossed lazily over the other. Chin resting on one hand, she forked a piece of fruit into her mouth with the other, completely ignoring the four people glaring at her from the living room.
Watching Briar act like this, Edgar could almost feel his bruises flaring back up. But he forced a smile and walked over.
*ransferr
make a “Briar, since you’re not going back to Qathana, why don’t you stay here a while?” he said. “You’re a college freshman, right? I know the president of
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