Caden's assistant soon arrived with the clothes. He didn't ask a single question. After giving a polite nod, he turned and left as quietly as he came.
Inside the bathroom, Kaylee stepped under the running water and let the heat rinse everything off her skin. Once she finished and got dressed, she headed straight back to the Harris estate.
The moment she crossed the entrance, her eldest brother Cory Harris' voice rang through the house, loud and furious.
"Does she even think about this family? Acting like that and dragging our name through the dirt... if people find out she slept with a director just to land a role, how are we supposed to face anyone?"
A cold look settled over Kaylee's face as she walked into the living room. Joyce sat beside Cory, leaning in with concern as she spoke in a soft voice. "Cory, please don't get so worked up... you know how harsh that industry can be. Maybe Kaylee just panicked and made a bad choice because she wanted a chance so badly. When she comes back, try to talk to her calmly. If things really get out of hand… she can leave the industry and stay here. We can support her anyway."
Every word sounded caring, and her tone made it seem sincere. If Kaylee hadn't already lived through this once before, she might have believed it.
Kaylee remembered clearly how Joyce played this exact role before, acting like she was helping while pushing the family to force her out.
This time, Kaylee wouldn't let that happen.
A faint smile appeared on Kaylee's lips as she stepped further in.
"I'd really like to understand something," she said, her voice calm but sharp. "What do you mean by 'a bad choice'? Does that include slipping something into someone's drink so they end up being sent to some director's bed? Or maybe sneaking around with someone else's fiance?"
The questions caught Cory off guard. He didn't follow what Kaylee meant at all. Joyce, on the other hand, went pale.
Why would Kaylee suddenly talk like that? There was no way she could know... right?
Joyce had buried her relationship with Declan where no one could find it. As for the incident with the drug, she had planned every detail, from disguising herself and paying off the server to sending them away afterward. Not a single loose end had been left behind.
Kaylee had to be bluffing.
With that thought, Joyce forced herself to stay composed and put on a confused expression. "Kaylee, what are you even saying?"
Joyce didn't give Kaylee a chance to speak. She shifted her tone in an instant, putting on a wounded look. "Now that you're back, stop throwing out strange accusations. Just be honest about what you did. We're your family, and we can still help you deal with it."
Her words pulled Cory's attention right back. He turned toward Kaylee with a cold stare. "Do you even understand how serious this is?"
A short, humorless laugh slipped from Kaylee. "Serious? What exactly did I do? Other than coming home and apparently ruining everyone's mood?"
Both Joyce and Cory went silent, caught off guard by her reaction.
They had expected panic. Maybe excuses. Maybe tears. What they got instead was Kaylee being calm and sharp, pushing back without hesitation.
"You still refuse to admit anything!" Cory grabbed Joyce's phone and pushed it right in front of her. "Take a good look. This is what you've done. Did you think you could just walk away and nothing would follow you? The hotel cameras recorded everything. If Joyce hadn't spent a fortune to keep this quiet, this would already be online! You almost destroyed this family's reputation, and you're still acting like you don't know anything?"
Without much interest, Kaylee glanced at the video on the screen.
There were no clear photos this time since she avoided the paparazzi.
The footage only showed her barely steady as someone helped her into that hotel room. After that, Sean Phillips entered using a keycard.
And that was enough for her own brother to decide she had sold herself?
She lifted her head and looked straight at them. A faint, mocking smile appeared. "So this proves what? That I wasn't in a clear state and some man entered my room? That's your evidence?"
Cory's anger flared again. "He was in your room with you. You really think that means nothing?"
A harsh laugh broke from Kaylee's lips. "Let me ask you something. If that video showed Joyce instead of me, what would you think? You'd say she was a victim. You'd assume someone broke in to hurt her. You'd be furious, wouldn't you?"
She stepped closer, grabbed Cory by his tie, and pulled him toward her, her voice dropping cold and cutting. "But when it's me, you don't hesitate. You call me shameless and decide I must've been sleeping with that man for some role?"
Cory went still, unease flickering across his face.
Kaylee didn't ease up. Each word came out steady and heavy. "You never treated me like your sister. That's the real reason. One unclear video is enough for you to judge me. You don't care what actually happened because you already made up your mind."
As Cory hesitated, his expression no longer as firm, Joyce's hands curled into fists at her sides.
Something was off. Kaylee wasn't acting like she usually did.
Before, she would always stay quiet and accept the blame. Now she was pushing back, and she wasn't backing down.
"Kaylee, that's not what Cory meant. He's just worried about you. And even if the director set you up, people will still talk. Your reputation has already taken a hit. After all—"
Joyce tried to steer things back, speaking with fake sympathy as she pushed the idea that Kaylee had slept with the director. Kaylee struck her across the face without letting her finish.
"Did you actually see anything happen between him and me? Or are you basing everything on that clip? You think that's enough to decide who I am?"
She reached out and grabbed Joyce by the hair, forcing her to face her. Her eyes were cold. "You must be disappointed. I didn't fall into whatever you planned. I walked out of that situation just fine."
Joyce pressed a hand to her cheek, stunned.
She knew Kaylee got out of that room, but she never thought Kaylee would be so certain it was her. She certainly didn't expect her to fight back like this.
"What do you think you're doing? You actually hit Joyce?" Cory scolded. He snapped out of his shock and rushed forward, pushing himself between the two women. One arm moved in front of Joyce as if she needed protection. "You think you can accuse her like that without anything to back it up? You're just reacting because you got exposed!"
"Kaylee... I never did anything to hurt you." Joyce sobbed, clutching his sleeve as tears ran down her face. "I know you don't like me, but if you want me gone, I'll leave. Just tell me. Why would you slander me?"
Kaylee's expression didn't soften. Instead, a slow smile formed, sharp and unsettling. "You're calling it slander? So you really think I came here with nothing?"
Without another word, she took out her phone and tapped on the screen. A video appeared, pulled from the banquet the night before.
In the footage, a woman stood near the corner, wrapped in a coat with her face hidden behind a mask. She kept looking around before slipping a thick stack of cash and a small bottle into a waiter's hand. Not long after, that same waiter dropped something into a glass of champagne and carried it straight to Kaylee.
The color drained from Joyce's face until nothing was left.
Cory's hand, which had been gripping her shoulder, slowly fell away. His eyes stayed on the screen, unmoving. Even with her face covered, he knew that figure. There was no doubt in his mind. The woman in the video was Joyce.
How could Joyce have done something like this?
