Chapter 454:

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“You do not see it?” Evelyn’s voice sharpened at once, rising with anger. “What matters is not whether you see it. What matters is what everyone else will say. They will say Connor married his adopted son’s former lover. They will say the Newman family has lost all sense of propriety. The family’s reputation, Connor’s reputation, even Zenith Group’s standing will be dragged into the mud because of you. Connor is still young. You have bewitched him, so he thinks he can disregard the consequences. But I am his mother. I will not sit back and watch him, or this family, become a joke for others to gossip about.”

Joslyn waited in silence until Evelyn had finished speaking. Only then did she answer. “If you truly cared about what was best for Connor, you would respect the choice he made instead of assuming you have the right to control his life. As for my past with Brandon, I cannot erase it. But I have no reason to feel ashamed of it either.”

Joslyn’s steady, unapologetic response struck Evelyn harder than open defiance. Her expression twisted with displeasure. “What a sharp tongue you have. It seems you are determined to cling to Connor and force your way into my family.”

Joslyn shook her head. “Connor and I are already married. This is our home. I respect you because you are his mother. That is the only reason I have sat here and listened to these accusations. But please understand this clearly. My marriage is not yours to interfere with.”

Evelyn stared at her for a long, heavy moment. Then a cold, knowing sneer slowly appeared on her face.

“Joslyn, do you truly believe you are safe just because Connor is protecting you? As long as I am alive, I will never accept you. Right now, he is infatuated, so he is willing to oppose me for your sake. But how long do you think that will last? You are young and beautiful now. Naturally, that is enough to draw him in. But what about ten years from now? Twenty? When your beauty fades, what will remain between you? By then, I will not even need to oppose the marriage anymore. The two of you will fall apart on your own.”

Joslyn did not flinch. “Then you do not need to trouble yourself. The problems you are imagining will never happen between us.”

Evelyn had not been challenged this directly in years. Her voice became colder, each word edged with contempt. “I am his mother. Of course I will trouble myself for his sake. I will not watch my son be ruined by a scheming woman. First, you got close to Brandon. Then you attached yourself to Connor. Was it not all for money and status in the end? Name your price. I will give it to you, and you will leave him.”

Joslyn held Evelyn’s gaze without retreating. By now, the arrogance on Evelyn’s face was no longer being concealed.

“So after circling around for so long, what you truly want is to pay me to leave Connor.”

Evelyn’s expression turned even colder. “And if that is exactly what I want? For a woman like you, is that not what you have been after from the beginning? Name your price. Leave Connor, disappear from Dafson, and I will pay whatever it takes.”

𝖲𝗁𝖺𝗋𝗲 уо𝘶r 𝗳𝗮𝗏о𝘳𝘪𝘁е𝘴 𝗳𝗿𝗈m 𝗀alո𝘰𝗏𝘦𝗅s.c𝗈m

Joslyn tilted her head slightly, her eyes remaining steady.

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