?Chapter 1596:

With a light smile, Corrine replied with yful sarcasm, “And what’s the reason for my dy today?”

A sheepish cough escaped him. “I’ll take the me for that.”

Corrine snorted softly, shrugged off his hand, and walked over to the sofa.

Nate followed, his voice softening with concern. “Are you upset?”

She looked up at him, her face somber. “I’m contemting whether it’s wise for us to take some time apart.”

Because if this kept up, something was going to give—and it’d likely be her.

“I can try to hold back next time,” Nate offered, almost apologetically. Corrine had grown weary of such assurances; they had lost their weight over time.

Silently, she moved to the dining table and began her breakfast in quiet contemtion.

After finishing, Corrine drove herself to the office.

As Corrine reached the office, a sharp voice pierced the morning calm. “Corrine!” She paused and turned to see Tracy striding toward her with a distinctly confrontational air.

It was clear Tracy had been waiting. Her gaze swept over Corrine from head to toe, masking bitterness behind a thin veil ofposure.

Since discovering that Corrine was a member of the Ford family, the most affluent in Lyhaton, Tracy’s regret had been palpable.

Despite her regrets, Tracy knew Corrine was beyond her grasp and would never consider looking back.

Determined not to let Corrine savor any perceived victory, Tracy inhaled deeply, her stance bing imposing. “You’re a Ford, heiress to the greatest fortune in Lyhaton. We’ve turned a blind eye to years of you masquerading and leeching off the Ashton family. But plotting to take our assets? That’s audacious, even for you. The Fords have more wealth than they could ever use. What’s the point in eyeing the Ashton assets? Or perhaps, do you find others’ possessions more appealing?”

Stay tuned for more gαlnσν??s.c○m

Corrine’s response was cool, her eyes sharpening. “It seems you’ve forgotten who kept the Ashton assets intact when they were nearly lost.” Her dismissive tone felt like a physical blow to Tracy.

Tracy’s face flushed with anger. “You were merely there when we were down. What gives you the right to lord it over me?”

Corrine had only assisted during the Ashton family’s crisis. Was it really necessary to keep mentioning it? Tracy couldn’t help but think to herself that it was as if Corrine feared others wouldn’t recognize her as the savior of the Ashton family.

Corrine held her silence, her eyes flickering with a hint of disdain as she reflected on her initial encounters with the Ashton family.fn63ba Chapters first released on fin?novel/fn63ba

It was during a family dinner, where Tracy had treated her almost like a servant,manding her around. When she finally sat down at the table, Corrine found nothing left for herself. Before she could say a word, someone shoved a rag into her hand and pointed to the kitchen.

Bruce had tried to soften the blow then. “Think of it this way, you’re doing it for me. Only with my mother’s approval can you truly be part of the Ashton family.”

These memories, now resurfacing, colored the current standoff with deeper shades of irony and resolve.

The memory yed vividly in Corrine’s mind—Tracy sipping coffee, her voice light but venomous as she spoke to the other Ashtons. “Girls these days have no shame. They’ll scrub floors and serve food if it means marrying rich. Social standing used to matter in marriage. But now? Just look at her. How could…”

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