Her command rang through the room, clear and authoritative, cutting through the tension with chilling precision.
Rita’s eyes burned with fury as she glared at Corrine, her voice a hiss.
“I won’t kneel! You wretched woman, I’ll fight you!”
In response, Corrine’s eyes flickered with a sudden, dangerous coldness, her expression unchanging.
At the critical moment, Farris gripped his cane tightly and brought it down hard against Rita’s leg.
Rita cried out in pain as her legs gave way, sending her sprawling onto the floor.
“Rita!” Tracy exclaimed, her voice trembling with alarm as she hurried to her daughter. Her concern was evident as she crouched beside her
“Sweetheart, are you okay? Does it hurt?”
Clinging to her mother’s arm, Rita dissolved into a fit of sobs, her cries filled with indignation.
“Mom, Grandpa doesn’t love me anymore! He hit me! He actually hit me-for an outsider!”
Her wails echoed across the room, drawing hushed murmurs and pitying looks from the guests.
Farris remained unyielding, his expression hard as stone. His voice rang out, low and commanding as he glared at Tracy.
“What are you standing there for? Take her away this instant! She’s disgracing herself!”
Tracy hesitated for a brief moment, but then she quickly collected herself, pulling Rita to her feet and guiding her away.
Still fuming, Rita clenched her fists and muttered bitterly, “Corrine, you just wait, I swear I’ll-mmm!”
Fearing her daughter might make things worse, Tracy hastily clamped her hand over Rita’s mouth and pulled her out of the room.
Corrine’s eyes followed their retreat, her expression unreadable save for the faintest glint of sarcasm. She turned to Farris, her voice sharp yet restrained.
“You’re protecting her, aren’t you?”
The room had already made its judgment. Farris’ strike had spared Rita from kneeling to Corrine and shielded the Ashton family from further disgrace. It was a calculated move.
Farris appeared momentarily flustered, his hands fiddling with the cane as he sighed. After a long pause, he finally spoke, his tone softer than before.
“This mess is entirely of Rita’s making. The position she’s in now? She brought it on herself.”
He gave a weak chuckle, clearly uncomfortable.
“I can’t ask you to forgive her, but… for my sake, perhaps you could let this go.”
Even without kneeling or apologizing, Rita’s reputation had already been crushed under the weight of the public’s judgment.
Corrine listened quietly, her lips curving into a faint, unreadable smile. Her tone was measured as she responded, “It’s your 80th birthday today. Since you’ve asked, how could I possibly refuse?”
Hearing that, Farris let out a quiet breath of relief, his shoulders easing slightly. But just as he began to relax, Corrine’s voice cut through the moment.
“But that doesn’t extend to the-“
Farris’ expression stiffened, his relief vanishing as he caught sight of the faint, unwavering smile on her lips. It was clear-she wasn’t backing down.
He let out a tired sigh, his gaze turning thoughtful as he studied her.
“So… what exactly do you plan to do?”
He knew he could beg her to let Rita off the hook, but for the rest of them? That was a different story entirely. The truth was, the others had brought this upon themselves. They could have walked away, but instead, they’d chosen to escalate the situation.
Corrine’s eyes swept over Gloria and the other relatives gathered in the crowd. There was a flicker of amusement-cold and cutting-behind her calm demeanor. Her voice carried a sharp edge as she spoke, “Aren’t you the ones who kept insisting this was fake? Why so quiet now?”
“Since you’re part of the Timeless Treasures, why didn’t you say so earlier?” Gloria snapped back, her tone bristling with accusation.
“It’s obvious now-you were plotting against us!”
Donnelly raised his gaze to meet hers, the faintest hint of mockery playing in his eyes.
“And who told you Miss Holland is a member of the Timeless Treasures?”
“Not a member?” Gloria’s brows furrowed deeply, her expression darkening with anger. She turned to Corrine, her voice rising.
“Corrine, what’s the meaning of this? Are you deliberately messing with us?”
Before Gloria could continue her tirade, Donnelly interjected with a casual remark, his tone calm but deliberate.
“The entire Timeless Treasures belongs to her.”
The words landed like a thunderclap, silencing the Ashton family members. The weight of the revelation hit them like a cold, unrelenting slap.
The room fell into an eerie, suffocating silence. Every pair of eyes was suddenly fixed on Corrine.
Who would have thought that the woman, once cornered by the entire Ashton family, was actually the owner of Timeless Treasures?
No wonder Donnelly had shown her such unusual respect. No wonder the pen holder, worth a staggering 9.54 million, seemed so insignificant in her eyes. Reflecting on the Ashton family’s earlier attack on her now felt like a cruel joke.
Nate, lounging casually against the doorframe, raised an eyebrow, his surprise at Donnelly’s words evident. His gaze swept across the room before landing on the slender figure seated with unnerving calm, sipping her coffee. His lips curved into a playful smirk, his eyes narrowing with a hint of admiration.
In the crowd, Leah’s eyes widened, her breath catching as she stared at Corrine in disbelief.
Corrine was the owner of Timeless Treasures? But Bruce had always told her that Corrine came from nothing-a simple country girl who’d changed her fate through education. How could she possibly be the owner of such a prestigious establishment? Had Bruce lied to her?
Leah shot a sharp glance at Bruce, only to find him standing frozen, staring at Corrine, as stunned as everyone else in the room.
Gloria’s voice trembled with disbelief as she stammered, “You’ve got to be kidding. How could she possibly be the owner of Timeless Treasures?”
“Exactly,” another voice chimed in.
“Even if you two are in cahoots, you could have at least come up with a better story.”
“We know her background, every detail. Do you really think you can pull the wool over our eyes with a few lies?”
Their words were laced with skepticism, their disbelief clear as they eyed Donnelly.
“Enough!” Farris snapped, his voice like a whip, his eyes blazing with anger. His gaze swept over the crowd, silencing them in an instant.
“Haven’t you caused enough trouble already?”
He spoke sharply, his voice laced with authority.
“You all need to apologize to Corrine, right now!”
“Farris, what are you talking about?” Gloria was the first to protest, her voice rising in disbelief.
After all, Corrine was nothing but a woman from a poor village. Even if she now owned Timeless Treasures, Gloria would never lower herself to apologize to her. If word of this got out, she’d be a laughingstock
Donnelly, with a casual air, twirled the bracelet in his fingers, his voice as cool as ice.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.