?Chapter 1598:

Tracy, unsatisfied, rushed after her. “Stop right there! What do you mean? If you didn’t care, why didn’t you turn down Farris? I’ve seen your type before—always pretending not to want anything while secretly aiming for it all! If you didn’t care, why did you stay with us for so long?”

She grabbed Corrine’s arm and pulled her toward her car. “If you really don’t care, thene with me. Tell Farris yourself!”

Farris had been in the hospital for days. His condition hadn’t improved.

Everyone knew his time was short.

Tracy had to get him to change his will before it was toote.

If not, everything would fall into Corrine’s hands.

Even weakened, the Ashton family still had weight. Many wanted the shares Farris held.

“Let go!” Corrine snapped, shaking Tracy’s hand off. Her voice turned icy. “Leave now—or I’ll make you.”

Tracy had always hated Corrine’s cold attitude. Now, faced with this harsh warning, her temper red. She raised her hand to p Corrine. “Mom!”fn8604 ???s ??????? ?s ?????? ?? find?novel/fn8604

Bruce appeared just in time, seeing her hand mid-air. His eyes widened as he rushed forward.

Corrine caught Tracy’s wrist and shoved her back.

Tracy staggered in her heels and bumped into Bruce, barely keeping her bnce.

Before she could speak, Bruce stepped in. “Mom, what are you doing?”

“What am I doing? Ask her! She’s the one causing all this!” Tracy shouted, pointing at Corrine.

She had always seen Corrine as defiant and ungrateful. Bringing her into their family was like opening the door to madness. Bruce looked at Corrine with admiration in his eyes.

He hadn’t seen her in a long time, but he’d heard plenty.

She was even more striking now—shining like a diamond that had been through fire.

Even standing still, shemanded attention.

Her presence reminded him of the first time they met.

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“Corrine, you should be ashamed! We treated you well all those years. Now you’re after the family assets? You think you can walk all over us just because of your new status?” Tracy cried, her voice shaking with anger.

Bruce flushed in embarrassment.

He quickly turned to Corrine. “I’m sorry. My mom acted out of line. Please forgive her.”

Tracy shouted, smacking his chest, “Why are you apologizing? We did nothing wrong! She’s the one who should say sorry. You’ve lost your mind!”

After the Leah incident, the Ashtons had hired topwyers to clean up the mess. Bruce had finally returned to being single.

A new marriage alliance was expected, given the family’s situation.

But Bruce refused.

Now, as Tracy noticed how he looked at Corrine, it clicked—he still had feelings for her.

Tracy’s eyes burned with resentment. Then Corrine broke the silence. “You’re right. I was wrong.” Both Bruce and Tracy froze.

Corrine continued, her voice calm. “I was wrong to show up when your family was falling apart. Wrong to help you back on your feet. Wrong to let you go when I could’ve crushed you.”

Her words, though softly spoken, cut deep.

For a moment, no one spoke. Then Tracy found her voice. “Is that a threat, Corrine?”

“Mom, stop,” Bruce snapped, frustration shing across his face. He looked at Corrine. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m not interested in the Ashton family—or in you, Bruce. Don’t show up in front of me again. And about what happened today—I may still take action.

Don’t test me,” Corrine said coldly.

Without another word, she turned and walked away.

Tracy watched her go, seething. She wanted to chase after her, but Bruce stopped her. “Mom, enough!” he snapped.

Tears welled in Tracy’s eyes. She hit Bruce’s chest, her voice breaking. “Who do you think I’m doing all this for? Who am I fighting for?”

Corrine glided into the office building, Tracy’s shrillints still reaching her ears.

A sardonic smile yed on her lips.

Tracy’s supposed cunning had be her undoing, blind to the calcted chess move Farris had executed with precision.

Though the Ashton family’s fortune had diminished from its former glory, Bruce could still nurture its prosperity with judicious management. Yet Farris clearly hungered for more than mere stability; otherwise, he wouldn’t have painstakingly transferred his assets to Corrine’s name.

While Farris extended his offering freely, epting it remained entirely at her discretion. Unless she consented, the Ashton family would never be her burden or constraint.

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