Chapter 153

Inside the hospital lobby, the air smelled faintly of disinfectant and impatience. Rhea sat on a narrow bench, one hand pressing an ice pack to her swollen ankle. Her face had gone pale, lips trembling slightly, not from pain alone, but from fury she was struggling to contain. Standing across from her was Alyssa. Perfectly dressed. Perfectly composed. Perfectly cruel. “You’re not seriously injured,” Alyssa said flatly. “Ten thousand is already generous. What more do you want?” Beside her stood Joseph, who’d been in the passenger seat during the accident. His brows were knit in annoyance, arms crossed. “We don’t have time for this,” he added. “If ten isn’t enough, we’ll make it twenty. Take it and stop dragging this out.” Rhea clenched her jaw so hard it ached. “You destroyed my laptop,” she shot back. “Do you have any idea what was on it? The design drafts inside are worth tens of millions.” Alyssa burst out laughing. After witnessing Sloane’s sudden rise earlier that day, running into