The Jilted Heiress' Return to the High Life - Chapter 542

Chapter 542:

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When the murder case happened five years ago, Waldo had acted quickly, contacting the authorities to suppress the case—with Natasha’s future and safety in mind. He had done everything he could to protect her from the public’s unforgiving gaze.

But now, thanks to the unrelenting persistence of these reporters, every effort to keep the truth buried was unraveling right before Corrine’s eyes.

“I know what you’re all thinking, and you’re right,” Natasha said, her voice steady despite the weight of the silence. She noticed the sympathetic gazes that met her, and instead of shying away, she returned each one with unwavering resolve.

“I was a victim of familial abuse, a dark secret I could never bring myself to share. But the truth has a way of rising to the surface, no matter how deeply buried. It was during gym class one day that I fainted from an ectopic pregnancy, and that was when the bullying began. It lasted for a whole year. At the time, I couldn’t speak up. I was too afraid—too afraid to tell my mom, too afraid the school would contact my parents. So, I left. I transferred to Pinetree High School, where I met Corrine Holland.”

Natasha paused, her eyes clouding with the memory, before her voice grew stronger.

“When Corrine and her friends found out, they did everything they could to help me. We even made plans to run away together. But my father found out. He locked us in, and later, during a violent fight, my mother… my mother accidentally killed him with a knife. We managed to get out. Afterward, Waldo Ford, a lawyer from Lyhaton, heard about what happened and fought for leniency on my mom’s behalf. With the Ford family’s support, I was able to study abroad.”

She had expected these words to be hard to say, but as they left her mouth, she felt an unexpected wave of relief, as if the weight on her chest had lifted just a little.

𝖀𝖕𝖉𝖆𝖙𝖊𝖘 𝖍𝖔𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖉 𝖎𝖓 g⍺𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝗲𝗅𝘀․𝗰𝗈𝗺

“I want to make one thing clear,” she continued, her gaze sharp and defiant.

“Corrine didn’t kill anyone. She had no part in any murder. She and her friends have always been by my side, doing everything they could to protect me. The real criminals are you guys, the so-called reporters, using your platforms to spread lies in the name of justice!” Her words hung in the air, heavy and damning. The crowd fell into stunned silence.

Meanwhile, online, the public’s reaction was swift and heated.

“Reporters today have no morals!”

“Maliciously slandering people just to stir up gossip? These people don’t even deserve the title of ‘journalist!'”

“A bunch of trash, embarrassing the media industry!”

Ignoring the social media firestorm, Corrine turned to Nate with icy calm.

“Have you figured out where these reporters are from?”

“They’re all from local newspapers in Pinetree City,” Nate replied, his voice low and controlled. He took her hand gently, his touch grounding, as he added, “I’ve already sent someone to investigate. We should have results soon.”

Corrine nodded, her expression cold and unreadable as her gaze locked onto Nate.

“Let me know when you find out,” she said, her voice smooth, almost too calm, yet carrying an unmistakable edge.

“I’ll take care of it personally.”

The threat lingered in her tone like a dark promise.

Outside, Karina and Jolene huddled together, speaking in hushed tones.

“Something about today feels… wrong,” Karina murmured, a frown tugging at her lips.

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