The Jilted Heiress' Return to the High Life - Chapter 519

Chapter 519:

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As Corrine walked toward the exit of the cafe, she unexpectedly came face-to-face with Leland.

“Miss Holland, your grandfather has requested your presence upstairs,” he informed her smoothly.

Corrine’s gaze instinctively flicked to the manager of Whisperwind Cafe.

The manager visibly tensed, his forehead damp with sweat, nervously glancing at Leland.

Leland offered a polite, knowing smile.

“Miss Holland, you should know—Mr. Ford has eyes and ears everywhere in this place.”

Corrine had no doubt about that.

The café belonged to her grandfather’s family holdings. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that every person here answered to him.

Without another word, she followed Leland into a VIP room. What she hadn’t expected—not in the slightest—was to find Nate sitting inside, engaged in casual conversation with her grandfather.

Corrine masked her surprise almost instantly, though her gaze lingered on Nate for a beat too long.

Her eyes silently questioned his presence in the room.

Nate lowered his gaze, his expression unreadable as he lifted his coffee cup and took a slow sip, his movements measured and composed.

Carl was the one to break the silence.

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 gⲁ𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀⫶ⅽ𝗈𝗺

“Corrine, since you’re here, take a seat. You’ll want to hear this—after all, it concerns an important matter of marriage.”

At those words, Nate’s grip on his cup tensed ever so slightly.

“Marriage?” Corrine turned to Carl, her confusion evident.

Carl merely smiled, and his gaze shifted toward Nate, carrying an unspoken weight.

“Yes, Mr. Hopkins specifically arranged this meeting to fulfill a marriage arrangement agreed upon years ago.”

He took a deliberate sip of his coffee before continuing, “You’ve met Mr. Hopkins a few times before, haven’t you? I imagine he’s mentioned the arrangement. What are your thoughts on it?”

“Marriage arrangement?” Corrine’s eyes flickered toward Nate, her expression blank with disbelief.

Carl studied her reaction, something unreadable flashing in his gaze.

“So, Mr. Hopkins never mentioned it to you?”

Nate’s dark eyes lifted, locking onto Carl with sharp precision.

He had chosen Whisperwind Cafe specifically to avoid Corrine. Yet here she was, and it was obvious Carl had orchestrated the encounter.

It didn’t take much to see what he was trying to do—stir trouble where none existed.

“Mr. Ford, I’ll leave the item here. I’ll return another day to discuss the details in person.” Realizing that lingering would only complicate matters further, Nate rose from his seat.

But Carl’s voice halted him.

“By all rights, with the engagement token here, the Ford family cannot deny this arrangement. However, marriage is a significant matter—it should ultimately be Corrine’s decision. Take this back with you.”

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