?Chapter 1646:

“I did,” Corrine replied.

Relief washed over Waldo as he nodded appreciatively.

At least she’d received the invitation. If Jolene dared to decline or avoid the event, he’d ensure she regretted it thoroughly.

The vengeful thought loosened the knot of tension in his chest, allowing his breathing to steady and deepen.

Just as Waldo pivoted to leave, Corrine’s fingers encircled his wrist, her lips curving into a knowing smile.

“Aren’t you forgetting something?”

His gaze lingered on her face before he sighed, reluctantly divulging everything he’d overheard. He couldn’t help adding his personal assessment:

“Honestly, this engagement seems peculiar in several ways. But since you’ve alreadymitted, why torture yourself with doubts? Take each day as ites. Of course, if you’re having second thoughts… you haven’t set a wedding date yet, so you could always—”fn48fb ?? ??? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???????s, ????s? ??s?? FindN0vel/fn48fb

Corrine cut him off with quiet certainty.

“I don’t regret it.”

Waldo fell silent at her deration, and then a soft chuckle escaped him.

“It doesn’t matter even if you did. Whatever path you choose, the Ford family will stand unwavering behind you.”

Such a straightforward promise carried immeasurable worth—it was the bedrock of Corrine’s unshakable confidence.

As Waldo gazed at Corrine, his eyes brimmed with tender affection and gentle indulgence.

He had deliberately withheld certain revtions from her.

Since hearing Evelyn’s cryptic words, an unsettling question had haunted his thoughts.

The reference to the most prestigious family on the Independent Continent, and the chilling massacre that imed hundreds of lives… Despite his relentless investigations, he’d uncovered nothing concrete. Yet some primal instinct whispered that all these mysteries somehow converged on Corrine.

Your imagination starts at g ? ln σ ν?? ??s?conn

Before that engagement party, he’d questioned why Carl and Jayden shielded Corrine from certain truths, but now understanding dawned on him.

Sometimes, ignorance provided its own form of protection.

They harbored no grandiose ambitions for Corrine; their sole desire was that she might lead a life unmarred by turmoil—peaceful and whole.

After dinner concluded, Corrine lingered in conversation before finally retreating to her sanctuary.

She slipped into her bathroom, sinking into the warm embrace of the tub, her head resting against the porcin as her fingers tracedzy patterns across the water’s surface.

Waldo’s revtions echoed through her mind.

“At the engagement celebration, Evelyn spoke in cryptic riddles with your grandpa, suggesting your engagement to Nate was orchestrated by your mother. You know your grandpa already opposed this match, and then Evelyn dered, ‘I know you me me for the path Corrine took, but deep down, you know it wasn’t my doing.’ Those words ignited Carl’s fury instantly—he even expressed bitterness toward your mother for stubbornly arranging this engagement years ago. He insisted he raised you not for anyone else’s purposes, but simply because he believed that since you entered this world, you deserved a good life.”

She had naively believed herself on the cusp of understanding, only to discover she had merely glimpsed the shadow of a much deeper truth. With a weary sigh, she emerged from the bathtub, changed into soft pajamas, and methodically dried her hair before the mirror. After that, she gathered her hair into a loose knot as she exited the bathroom.

.

.

.