The Jilted Heiress' Return to the High Life - Chapter 172

Chapter 172:

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Five years ago, Bruce’s timely intervention had saved her life. Without him, she wouldn’t be alive today.

That single moment had stayed her hand from annihilating the Ashton family, despite everything they’d done.

After ending the call with Karina, Corrine dialed Jules and gave a single instruction.

“Take the trending topic down. Immediately.”

She exhaled softly, still lost in thought, when a shadow fell over her. Looking up, she saw Nate standing before her—tall and imposing, his presence commanding the space like a storm cloud blotting out the light.

With quiet confidence, he tilted her chin upward. His face was unreadable, carved in stone, his gaze dark and cutting.

“Tell me,” he said, voice low and steady.

“Is Bruce the reason you won’t marry me?”

Corrine’s brows drew together, her eyes flashing with a hint of ice.

“Do you honestly think a scumbag like him is worth my time?”

Nate’s lips curved into a slow, deliberate smile—one filled with curiosity and something deeper.

“Then why keep the Ashton family alive?”

He knew the truth—Corrine’s influence and the Ford family’s wealth could’ve wiped Ashton Group off the map effortlessly.

The fact that she hadn’t only fueled his questions.

Corrine’s smile returned, dazzling and dangerous. Her beauty sparked with a bold, magnetic energy that made it impossible to look away.

“If I wanted to crush Ashton Group,” she said, her voice brimming with confidence, “no one could stop me.”

And Nate didn’t doubt her for a second. With Corrine’s sharp mind and relentless drive, she could’ve rebuilt Ashton Group from ruin in a year—or destroyed it without breaking a sweat.

But she still hadn’t answered his question.

Realizing she had no intention of explaining, Nate didn’t push further. It wasn’t Bruce himself that unsettled him—it was the three wasted years Corrine had spent on him.

𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙘𝙚 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 g𝖺𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀⧿𝖼𝗈𝗺

Still, hearing her call Bruce a scumbag confirmed she’d moved on.

So, it wasn’t about Bruce anymore.

“Then why won’t you marry me?” Nate pressed again, his tone calm but tinged with frustration.

Corrine met his eyes and let out a soft, melodic laugh.

“I’ve always believed the journey to marriage matters.”

“Journey?” Nate repeated, as if the word were unfamiliar.

To him, wanting something meant claiming it. The process didn’t matter—only the result.

“Meeting, getting to know each other, understanding, loving, committing, and then building a life together,” she said, her voice gentle yet firm.

“The steps may seem simple, but they take time to become something meaningful. I think the truest kind of love is when—no matter what trials or hardships you face—you still choose each other.”

Her voice softened, and Nate saw the wistful light in her eyes, the hopeful shimmer that outshone the stars.

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