Chapter 5 Make Rachael Pay For Her Wrongdoings

People in the hallway stole glances at Alexia, curious about the woman everyone had labeled as foolish.

What they saw didn't match the rumors at all.

Her appearance was carefully put together. She wore a couture dress from Luxe Kingdom, a designer brand, and her hair was loosely tied, falling in soft waves that framed her neck.

When her eyes settled on Rachael, there was nothing warm in them. She carried herself with a quiet distance that made her seem untouchable.

Wasn't she supposed to be the unruly girl from the slums?

Then why did she carry herself with more composure than Rachael, who had been raised in privilege all her life?

Without hesitation, Alexia stepped forward and stopped right in front of Rachael. "Don't bring up family ties with me. You're not qualified to say that."

A faint curve appeared on her lips, though there was no warmth in it. "You've worn the James name for so long that you've convinced yourself it belongs to you."

Alan moved at once, placing himself between them as his expression hardened. "Rachael is the real heiress of the James family!"

Alexia's gaze shifted to him, and she let out a quiet scoff. "You're protecting the very person who fooled you. Keep doing that and see where it leads."

Anger flashed across Alan's face, and he was about to respond when her voice cut through again.

"I already told you. What Rachael owes me will be repaid, piece by piece. You'd better make sure all evidence of the crime she committed five years ago stays hidden, because if I find anything..."

Alexia's lips parted slightly, and her smile turned cold. "A game without any challenge isn't worth playing."

Murmurs spread through the crowd as the tension rose.

Could there be more to what happened five years ago than they thought?

Rachael's fingers tightened around Alan's sleeve as fear crept into her voice. "Alan, she... she's..."

Alan steadied himself and retorted firmly, "What are you even saying? The court already made its decision. Are you trying to blame Rachael for something she didn't do?"

A faint curve appeared on Alexia's lips. "That depends on whether you're capable of keeping it buried."

Without waiting for a response, she turned and walked toward the VIP section, leaving their darkened expressions behind.

No matter what she said, Alan would refuse to believe it.

Rather than argue, she chose to walk away and let her words linger in everyone's mind.

Rachael and Alan stood frozen, watching her disappear, neither of them able to recover right away.

Five years had changed Alexia completely.

A tremor ran through Rachael's voice as she spoke. "Alan, do you think she'll really expose what happened back then?"

Alan shook his head, trying to sound certain. "That's impossible. Everything was settled years ago. There's no way she has any proof."

Even as he said it, doubt crept into his thoughts.

The same girl they once cast aside and sent to prison now came back in a Rolls-Royce, received personally by Philip, and spoke with such confidence.

That unsettling smile of hers lingered in his memory, sending a chill down his spine.

At that moment, a nurse approached them with a polite expression. "Mr. James, Miss James..."

Alan snapped out of his thoughts and nudged Rachael. "It's finally our turn."

The nurse maintained her smile, though her tone turned firm. "I'm sorry, but our director has instructed that you are not to be seen here. Please leave."

"What are you talking about?" Alan's voice rose, anger flaring. "We've been waiting all this time. We're about to be called, and now you're telling us to leave?"

Rachael grabbed his arm in a hurry. "Alan, don't make this worse..."

But the situation had already slipped out of control.

The nurse pressed a button and called for security. Within moments, several guards approached them with serious expressions.

Alan clenched his jaw. He knew causing a scene here would only humiliate them further.

After shooting the nurse a glare, he turned and left with Rachael.

As they walked away, he muttered under his breath, unable to understand how Alexia had gained Philip's favor.

Even the nurse assigned to the VIP lounge found herself wondering the same thing.

Many powerful figures had offered high fees for Philip's attention, yet he rarely agreed to treat them personally.

Now, he had examined Alexia himself.

Inside the VIP room, Philip remained focused, unaware of the thoughts outside as he carefully studied Alexia's toxicology report. His expression grew more serious as he spoke. "Your system still contains several substances that have been suppressing your nerves for a long time, and there's more than one type involved."

Alexia's brows drew together. "Explain it clearly."

Philip pointed at different sections of the report. "This group affects your central nervous system. It can cause breathing failure during sleep and serious damage to your liver. This one interferes with your autonomic nerves and leads to lasting harm to your nervous system. And this..."

After going through each one, Philip let out a quiet breath. "Whoever did this didn't hold back."

A cold laugh escaped Alexia.

Just as she expected, Rachael had already made her move in this life as well.

If she hadn't stayed alert and avoided the worst of it, she might have never made it out of prison alive.

Carefully folding the report, Alexia kept it close.

She was determined to make Rachael pay for her wrongdoings.