The Jilted Heiress' Return to the High Life - Chapter 152

Chapter 152:

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“But 9.54 million? That’s impossible…” Where would Corrine get that kind of money?

Corrine set her cup down with deliberate calm, her gaze steady as she replied, “Miss Burgess compensated me ten million. It was just enough to cover the cost.”

Her composed tone sliced through Leah like a razor, leaving her reeling as the truth struck deep.

The crowd turned their eyes toward Rita, their gazes a mixture of mockery and pity. Each stare seemed to peel away a layer of her composure.

Rita’s chest tightened, and her face grew hot as she felt every pointed look. She stood frozen, her breathing uneven as bitterness clawed at her insides. It was unbearable.

The pen holder was genuine.

What now?

She couldn’t kneel.

Rita clenched her fists, her thoughts spiraling in panic. As the Ashton family’s heiress, kneeling before Corrine would ruin her forever. How could she ever recover from such public humiliation?

Farris shifted uncomfortably, watching Corrine’s calm demeanor with a growing sense of unease. Donnelly’s confirmation left him cold. The significance of the gift no longer mattered.

What loomed over him now was the crushing weight of potential disgrace on the Ashton family.

His gaze flicked toward Corrine, searching for a hint of leniency. She paid him no mind, her eyes locked on Rita. A faint smile curved her lips, her tone light but cutting.

“Miss Ashton, isn’t it time to honor your word?”

Rita’s head snapped up, her wide eyes locking on Corrine with a mix of shock and disbelief.

Corrine’s expression was cool and unyielding, her lips curving into a faint, almost ruthless smile that sent a shiver down Rita’s spine.

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Rita’s heart hammered in her chest. Without thinking, she took a step back, her fingers clinging tightly to Tracy’s arm. Her voice wavered as she stammered, “Corrine… what are you trying to do? Don’t forget—this is the Ashton fr— home!”

Corrine tilted her head slightly, her smile widening just enough to make Rita’s unease grow.

“Precisely, Miss Ashton. Because this is the Ashton residence, it’s all the more important for you to keep your word. If you break your promise now, it won’t just tarnish your name—it will make people consider the entire Ashton family unreliable.”

Rita’s chest tightened. Regret churned in her gut like a storm, but what good was regret now? Every pair of eyes in the room bored into her, expectant, unyielding. The weight of their judgment felt suffocating, as if they wouldn’t let her go until she knelt and apologized.

The pressure seemed to ignite a spark of defiance in her. Her lips trembled as she glared at Corrine, her voice rising in desperation.

“You think I’ll just believe you because you said so? What proof do we have that this old man isn’t just someone you brought in to back up your lies? Maybe this whole thing was staged!”

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