Chapter 196
Chapter 196:
Kendrick had no intention of letting his granddaughter rush into anything so soon. “She hasn’t even finished college. Her time should be spent on her studies and career. There’s no need to talk about marriage just yet p>
Felix gave a short nod. “That’s right p>
Not long after, Felix excused himself to take care of other things. Marcus took Kendrick home so he could rest, and Deandre, having nothing to do, decided to stay.
“Deandre, there was blood on your sleeve. Did you get hurt in that mess with the robbers p>
He gave a firm nod. “Those men were trained and organized. They’re just one limb of something much larger p>
Rylie tilted her head, pretending to know nothing about their enemies. “Brad said the gun used against me wasn’t something you could find around here. Said it was deadly. If he hadn’t fired first, I wouldn’t have made it p>
Deandre’s expression shifted. He eased down on the edge of her bed. “Those weapons came through the black market. They were traced back to a sea raid p>
She narrowed her eyes. “And how does a local gang have that kind of power p>
“That has something to do with the Royal Casino’s secret supporter, Black Tiger.” Deandre didn’t flinch as he explained. “It’s backed by outsiders, way beyond our laws. Brad traced the operation to the deputy mayor. There’s a paper trail showing smuggled cargo approved under his authority. But with the real mayor still facing trial, we’ve got no solid case yet p>
Rylie stayed quiet for a moment. Then she said, “Keep your guard up. Don’t give them a reason to come after you p>
He ruffled her hair. “I’ll be fine p>
For the next few days, Rylie stayed in her room. She didn’t step out. Instead, she gave orders for her team to dig into the deputy mayor and the casino. New intel started trickling in.
The deputy mayor had taken over as acting mayor. His life seemed quiet on the surface. But Britton had noticed something strange.
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“There’s a tunnel under the deputy mayor’s villa. Leads straight to a bar. I sent you the pin. We’ve had people watching the place. That bar’s crawling with hidden cameras and escape routes. The owner isn’t just some bartender,” Britton said.
Rylie tapped the screen, brows raised. She’d been to that bar before. What were the odds? And the name attached to it? Ronan Boyd, if her memories served her right. He was tied to Brad somehow. This was no longer something she could ignore. She’d have to go to that casino herself.
But not just yet. The Wesdown International Piano Competition had just wrapped its first round. The second phase was starting, and she couldn’t sit that one out. As a key figure in the event, Rylie naturally had to participate.
For the second round, each pianist had to perform both a technical masterpiece and an original piece, all while the judges listened without knowing the contestants’ names.
Rylie arrived at the venue, her judge’s badge in hand, ready to don her mask and head straight into the designated area. But before she could proceed, she came face-to-face with a group of well-dressed young women from high society.