Chapter 9 " So what am I supposed to do ? " Tristan had calmed down a little . " I don't have many old friends left , and who knows how much time I've got You can't let me die with regrets . " " Guilt - tripping me won't get you anywhere , " Briar said flatly . " You do remember people are still hunting you down on the Dark Net , right ? There are hitmen after your head . You really wanna test how fast they can find you , huh ? " . Tristan sighed , totally deflated . " How sure are you that you can help ? " Briar's eyes sparkled with mischief . " About fifty - fifty . I don't have the good stuff with me right now , you know . " Tristan asked immediately , " What do you need ? Just make a list . I'll send it all over . " Don't regret saying that ." Briar grinned and immediately sent over a massive list detailing over a thousand rare and costly medicinal herbs . Tristan stared at the list in silence , and his voice trembled . " Briar , can we talk ? Maybe cut back on a few of these , okay ? I'm down to my last few rare herbs . as well , you know . " Briar shrugged . " Sure , but I'll have to skip a couple of treatments for him . And as for how effective that'll be- " " Fine , fine ! I'll get everything , " Tristan muttered , clutching his heart like she'd just robbed him blind . His years of carefully hoarded herbs were gone, just like that . Briar looked satisfied . " Good . Once I've got the herbs , Griffin will start getting better . I'll wait for your delivery . Good night ." She hung up before Tristan could yell at her . The whole world was still looking for Tristan , but no one had guessed he'd been hiding on an island in North Bofloria for over a decade , dodging assassins . Briar's expression darkened a little . When she became Tristan's student , she learned that the same people hunting him had also been involved in her mother's disappearance . To protect him - and herself - she helped Tristan vanish . Since then , Tristan had stayed off the grid completely . Feeling pretty pleased about scoring those herbs , Briar shut her laptop and got ready for bed . She'd been taking on tough gigs nonstop to prep for this trip home . A good night's sleep was overdue . She drifted off quickly , completely missing the text that lit up her phone screen . [ I'll send someone to pick you up at 2 PM tomorrow . We'll meet at Wade Mansion . ] When Briar woke up at 6 AM the next morning and saw Ashton's message , she just replied with a simple " Okay ." She wasn't the least bit surprised he knew where she lived . If Ashton couldn't even track her down , the Wade family would've been eaten alive by their rivals years ago . Briar got up , freshened up , changed into workout clothes , and tied her hair into a high ponytail. She headed downstairs for her morning run . The house was still quiet . Only the servants were moving around . Briar jogged out onto the tree - lined paths of the fancy neighborhood . She didn't bother greeting any of the neighbors she passed . She wasn't planning to stay here long anyway . Her goal was to find a place of ' Shoneport University soon . Briar always went for a run whenever she wasn't working . She kept a steady pace , knocking out 6 miles in just 40 minutes . ' wn near Chapter 9 Out of habit , she never wore headphones because she liked to stay alert . It helped her keep an eye on her surroundings and spot frouble before i close . On her third lap , she noticed someone tailing her . Her eyes narrowed , a dangerous glint flashing in them . She didn't speed up or slow down . Instead , she casually changed her route , leading the follower into the wooded trail . They took the bait and followed her in . A few minutes later , Briar strolled out of the woods like nothing had happened . Not even a strand of hair was out of place . She dusted off her hands - more out of habit than need - and kept running . She ran the full 6 miles and headed home with a slight smile tugging at the corner of her mouth . Nothing looked out of place - aside from the unconscious man with twisted limbs now lying deep in the woods . By the time Briar got home , the Jennings family was already up and eating . Edgar was sitting at the table , reading the paper and chewing his food . Halle sat beside him , looking as graceful and polished as ever . Across from them sat Camden and Beatrice . It all looked picture - perfect - four people eating breakfast , laughing , acting like the perfect family . But whatever they were talking about left Briar deeply irritated . " Dad , why isn't Briar up yet ? " Beatrice said with a smug look . " If she sleeps in like this after transferring schools , she's gonna be late all the time . " Camden scoffed , " She was always skipping class or picking fights when she was abroad . You really think she'll wake up early now , huh ? " " Hey , don't talk about Briar like that . She just got back . Maybe she's still jet - lagged , " Halle chimed in , sounding sweet but clearly fake . " Besides , the Grant family probably didn't teach her properly . But don't worry . I'll help her adjust and teach her how to act like a real lady . " Edgar snorted , not looking up from his paper . " Tell Sara to wake her up for breakfast , " he said . " If she can't even get out of bed , what makes her think she'll ever get into Shoneport University ? " None of them noticed the girl standing quietly in the doorway , arms crossed , listening to every word . Halle turned to the maid . " Sara , go wake Briar . She can go back to bed after she eats . " Sara glanced at Briar , who was still leaning against the doorway , smirking like she'd just watched something funny . Then she looked at Halle , who was smiling sweetly but clearly fuming inside . She hesitated . Halle frowned . " Why are you just standing there ? Go ! " Sara pointed toward the doorway . " Briar's been up since six . She just got back from her morning run ." All four turned to look - and froze . Briar stood there , calm and distant , arms still crossed . Nobody knew how long she'd been standing there or how much she'd heard . But from the smug , untouchable look on her face , they figured it was probably everything . Edgar cleared his throat and forced a smile . " Briar , go get changed so you don't catch a cold . We were just waiting for you to eat breakfast together . " It sounded nice , but their half - empty plates told a different story . Briar raised an eyebrow and gave them a crooked smile - sharp , sarcastic , and a little mean . " No , thanks . I don't eat with trash . It ruins my appetite . " Without another word , she turned and headed upstairs , not bothering to look back at their stunned faces . Chapter 10 Chapter 10 Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!