Chapter 509:

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He paused, his tone sharpening. “Miss Dawson, although you now hold a considerable portion of the Dawson assets, your shares are still far from making you the largest shareholder of Dawson Group. True authority remains firmly in the hands of your aunt and uncle. When guests are present, you must not behave like a visitor in your own home. Know your place.”

Faced with his blatant arrogance, Thea let out a soft, icy laugh.

She adjusted herself into a more relaxed posture and followed him toward the estate with deliberate languor. “You are absolutely right,” she said.

She silently wondered whether the Dawson butler would still dare to lecture her after tonight.

Mistaking her calm compliance for submission, the butler felt his pride swell further.

Walking ahead, he sneered, “Miss Dawson, you would do well to learn from Jaylynn. She always placed the future of the Dawson family above everything else. Now that she’s gone, won’t the entire Dawson family belong to you eventually? You should start safeguarding the family’s reputation, since you’re expected to inherit the Dawson family’s business and legacy.”

Thea followed a step behind him, her voice gentle yet unwavering. “Do I truly have the right to inherit the Dawson family’s business and legacy?”

The butler frowned. “Naturally.”

“But what happens when Jaylynn returns?” Thea’s voice cooled as they walked on. “Would I be forced to hand everything back to her, just as I did the last time she reappeared?”

𝖱𝗈𝗆𝖺𝗇𝖼𝖾 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗉𝖺𝗌𝗌𝗂𝗈𝗇 𝗈𝗇 𝗀𝖺𝗅𝗇𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗅𝗌.𝖼𝗈𝗆

“Of course—” The butler’s words faltered, lodging in his throat as he came to an abrupt stop.

He turned toward Thea, anger and embarrassment colliding on his face. “Miss Dawson, what nonsense are you talking about? Jaylynn is already dead. How could she possibly return?”

Yet despite his firm words, a flicker of unease appeared unmistakably in his eyes.

Thea curved her lips into a faint smirk, stepped past him, and continued toward the main house of the Dawson Estate. “The dead do not return. It was only a joke. There was no need to take it so seriously.”

The butler frowned and instinctively took a step after her, but all that remained in sight was her unhurried figure drifting farther away.

Left standing there, he felt a strange restlessness creep into his chest. For reasons he couldn’t name, an unsettling thought lingered: Thea seemed to know far more than she should.

With that realization, he hurriedly pulled out his phone and dialed Colton. “Mr. Dawson, something feels off about Thea. Are you certain there’s been no leak concerning Miss Jaylynn Dawson?”

At that moment, Colton was in the top-floor study of the Dawson Estate, his brows drawn together as he reviewed the document Victor had prepared, planning to have Jerred sign it after getting him drunk. In the adjoining room, his wife knelt with a Bible in her hands, praying the night would unfold without complications.

Hearing the butler’s report, Colton said, “Dr. Hernandez called earlier and said everything is fine. Tomorrow, the foreign specialists will personally oversee Jaylynn’s treatment…”

He paused briefly before asking, “Why do you ask? Has something happened with Thea or Jerred?”

When Thea stepped into the Dawson Estate’s living room, she was met with the sight of Clara clasping Gerda’s hands, her smile radiant as she insistently declared that Gerda should become her close friend.

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