The Jilted Heiress' Return to the High Life - Chapter 224

Chapter 224:

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“You really do take after your mother.”

Corrine’s smile faltered slightly. It had been a long time since anyone had spoken of her mother. Both her uncles and grandfather avoided the topic, as if silence could erase the painful truth of her absence.

“Do you miss her, Grandpa?” she asked softly, her fingers gently clasping his hand.

To her surprise, Carl shook his head.

“I’ve never felt like she’s gone. She’s always been with me.”

Not long after they arrived back at the Ford family’s mansion, the other three men of the household returned as well. They gathered in Carl’s study.

Carl sat with his hands resting on his cane, his gaze fixed on an oil painting hanging on the wall. It depicted a forest bathed in the golden light of the setting sun, a lone deer standing at its entrance, as if silently guiding—or perhaps warning—those who dared to step forward.

The painting’s beauty held a strange, almost haunting allure.

It wasn’t the work of a renowned artist, but that of Kiley, the cherished daughter of the Ford family.

In the quiet, Jayden, the eldest, spoke first.

“I’ve erased everything to keep Corrine out of trouble.”

“Have you figured out who’s behind the reporters?” Carl asked, his gaze sweeping across his two sons and grandson. His voice was steady but sharp.

Waldo answered, “They admitted they were following Leah Burgess’ orders.”

Carl reclined in his chair, setting his cane aside. He toyed with the jade ring on his thumb, his expression hardening.

“Now that we know, you understand what needs to be done, right?”

With the Ford family’s vast influence, the Burgess family was a small concern, not even worth a second glance. But Leah’s reckless targeting of Corrine meant there would be consequences. She thought she was acting in the shadows, but in Lyhaton, under the Ford family’s watchful eyes, there were no secrets.

Waldo nodded.

“By tomorrow, the Burgess family will be all over the front page.” His voice was unnervingly calm, carrying a chilling certainty.

ℝ𝑒𝒶𝒹 𝓂𝑜𝓇𝑒 𝒸h𝒶ρtєrs 𝑜𝓃 g𝓐l𝑛ovєls.𝓬0𝓶

In the cutthroat business world, no one was naive, and the Burgess family had survived the financial crisis not by chance, but by experience.

Carl turned his attention to his grandson, Jules.

“Handle Brevard quickly, so we don’t face more complications.”

“Understood!” Jules responded.

In the semi-underground wine cellar of Celtis Estate, glass cabinets lined the walls, each filled with an array of fine wines. At the black marble bar, Nate and Zack sat side by side, while Moses wandered around like a tourist.

It wasn’t that he was unfamiliar with such sights—it was just that Nate prized this cellar so much that he rarely let anyone step inside.

“You’re not usually the type to meddle in things,” Zack remarked, idly swirling the amber liquid in his glass. A knowing smirk tugged at his lips, his gaze carrying an amused edge. The online broadcast had stirred up such a frenzy that ignoring it was impossible.

Hearing Zack’s remark, Moses strolled over to the bar with an air of indifference. His eyes met Zack’s briefly, a flicker of mischief passing between them.

“Aren’t you the one who hates the spotlight more than anyone?” Moses mused, dropping an ice cube into his drink. The soft clink echoed as he lazily swirled the glass.

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