Reborn From Ashes novel Chapter 292

"Are you going to admit it?" Hayden asked, his tone calm and detached.

Lily bit her lip, clearly torn and struggling with the situation. She knew they wouldn't find her fingerprints on the stone, but they could find Morgan's. If that happened, it could go on his record, potentially ruining his chances of getting into college.

Realizing she had no other option, Lily finally gave in.

"Fine. It was me... but this emerald was always meant for the Sterling family anyway!" she argued, still defiant. "I just took it a little early. What's so wrong with that?"

Her tone was self-righteous, completely oblivious to the fact that she was in the wrong.

"How could you do something like this?" Charlotte snapped, letting out a frustrated sigh. Her face was full of disappointment as she glared at Lily, the kind of look that said she was at her wit's end.

"It's already done!" Lily shot back. "At least he didn't have to come over to deliver it himself. But then he brought another stone—obviously just to humiliate the Sterling family!"

"Mom, you should be mad at him, not me! He's the one being mean!" Lily declared, acting as though the entire situation was Hayden's fault.

Hayden's smirk grew colder. "Oh, really? And who said the stone you took is the real deal, while mine's the fake?" he retorted, his voice sharp.

"What?" Lily froze, her eyes widening in shock. "It's not?"

"Hayden, stop messing around," Anna interrupted, her voice firm. "Just tell us the truth. Which one's real?"

"Yeah," Julia chimed in. "You're in front of all these influential people. You can't let the Sterling family look bad. Spit it out already!"

Quinn responded with a smug, dismissive laugh. "I brought the emerald. Whatever happens after that is not my problem."

He shrugged nonchalantly, clearly unbothered. Deep down, he didn't mind causing a scene—after all, if the Sterling family didn't end up embarrassed, what was the point of him showing up?

Just then, the wealthy guests in the room seemed to reach a conclusion.