The Jilted Heiress' Return to the High Life - Chapter 154

Chapter 154:

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“Sweetheart, are you okay? Does it hurt?”

Clinging to her mother’s arm, Rita dissolved into a fit of sobs, her cries filled with indignation.

“Mom, Grandpa doesn’t love me anymore! He hit me! He actually hit me—for an outsider!”

Her wails echoed across the room, drawing hushed murmurs and pitying looks from the guests.

Farris remained unyielding, his expression hard as stone. His voice rang out, low and commanding as he glared at Tracy.

“What are you standing there for? Take her away this instant! She’s disgracing herself!”

Tracy hesitated for a brief moment, but then she quickly collected herself, pulling Rita to her feet and guiding her away.

Still fuming, Rita clenched her fists and muttered bitterly, “Corrine, you just wait, I swear I’ll—mmm!”

Fearing her daughter might make things worse, Tracy hastily clamped her hand over Rita’s mouth and pulled her out of the room.

Corrine’s eyes followed their retreat, her expression unreadable save for the faintest glint of sarcasm. She turned to Farris, her voice sharp yet restrained.

“You’re protecting her, aren’t you?”

The room had already made its judgment. Farris’ strike had spared Rita from kneeling to Corrine and shielded the Ashton family from further disgrace. It was a calculated move.

Farris appeared momentarily flustered, his hands fiddling with the cane as he sighed. After a long pause, he finally spoke, his tone softer than before.

“This mess is entirely of Rita’s making. The position she’s in now? She brought it on herself.”

He gave a weak chuckle, clearly uncomfortable.

“I can’t ask you to forgive her, but… for my sake, perhaps you could let this go.”

LΑτєѕτ chαρτєrs ιn g𝓪l𝑛ovєl𝑆.𝗰𝑜𝗺

Even without kneeling or apologizing, Rita’s reputation had already been crushed under the weight of the public’s judgment.

Corrine listened quietly, her lips curving into a faint, unreadable smile. Her tone was measured as she responded, “It’s your 80th birthday today. Since you’ve asked, how could I possibly refuse?”

Hearing that, Farris let out a quiet breath of relief, his shoulders easing slightly. But just as he began to relax, Corrine’s voice cut through the moment.

“But that doesn’t extend to the—”

Farris’ expression stiffened, his relief vanishing as he caught sight of the faint, unwavering smile on her lips. It was clear—she wasn’t backing down.

He let out a tired sigh, his gaze turning thoughtful as he studied her.

“So… what exactly do you plan to do?”

He knew he could beg her to let Rita off the hook, but for the rest of them? That was a different story entirely. The truth was, the others had brought this upon themselves. They could have walked away, but instead, they’d chosen to escalate the situation.

Corrine’s eyes swept over Gloria and the other relatives gathered in the crowd. There was a flicker of amusement—cold and cutting—behind her calm demeanor. Her voice carried a sharp edge as she spoke, “Aren’t you the ones who kept insisting this was fake? Why so quiet now?”

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