The Jilted Heiress' Return To The High Life novel Chapter 22

Chapter 22 What Is Your Relationship With Him

“Look at you, you adorably stubborn girl,” Waldo remarked, his tone laced with mock disdain, though the warmth in his gaze betrayed him. With a teasing grin, he reached out and tousled Corrine’s hair.

“I’m not stubborn,” Corrine retorted, swatting his hand away as she led him toward the sofa.

Bruce’s eyes narrowed as they flicked between Corrine and the man beside her. The tension in the air was palpable before he broke the silence with a sharp-edged question. “What’s your relationship with him?”

At the sound of his voice, Corrine’s lighthearted smile froze, her expression hardening as she turned to him. “Why are you still here?”

Bruce’s tone sharpened as if he were a husband uncovering betrayal. “Answer me! What’s your relationship?”

A cold, mocking smile curved Corrine’s lips. “And what position are you in to question me, Mr. Ashton?”

“I…” Bruce began, but the words caught in his throat. There was no legitimate argument he could muster.

Corrine’s sardonic smile deepened as she gestured toward the door. “Mr. Ashton, let me repeat myself-leave.”

Bruce stood stiffly, his lips pressed into a tight line as his eyes darted toward Waldo. Without another word, he grabbed Leah’s hand and turned on his heel to leave.

Yet as he reached the door, he hesitated, glancing back at Corrine with an unreadable expression clouding his

eyes.

The moment they were out, Corrine walked to the door and slammed it shut with a resounding bang, the sound reverberating through the ward.

Leah glanced at the closed door, her expression unreadable before she turned to Bruce. Her lips curved into a faint, detached smile. “Corrine seems to have quite a collection of male friends. Meanwhile, I only have you.”

Bruce remained silent, his thoughts elsewhere. Leah’s smile faltered for a moment before she pressed on. “That man looked older. Have you met him before? Any idea who he is?”

Bruce’s brows furrowed slightly, his voice low and uncertain. “Perhaps someone she’s worked with before.”

“I see,” Leah murmured, her tone contemplative.

Inside the ward, Karina picked up her bag, her gaze settling briefly on Corrine. “Now that you have company, I’ll take my leave.”

She gave Waldo a polite nod before walking out, her heels clicking against the polished floor.

With Karina gone, the ward suddenly felt much larger, the silence settling like a blanket around Corrine and

Waldo.

Waldo set his glass of water down with a soft clink and spoke first, his voice calm but tinged with an edge that sent a subtle chill through the air. “Was that the man you were so determined to marry three years ago, despite the family’s objections?”

Corrine hesitated for a brief moment before nodding her expression unreadable.

Waldo’s lips twisted into a derisive snort. “That man doesn’t look the least bit deserving of you!”

He had prepared a long lecture for his niece, but seeing her stand there, quiet and reserved, his resolve. softened. With a sigh, he shook his head, the sternness in his voice replaced by exasperation. “You gave up a life of privilege, walking away from the Ford family, only to end up working for a man like that. Tell me, was it

worth it?”

“No, it wasn’t,” Corrine replied with a faint, playful smile, handing him another glass of water. “Uncle Waldo, don’t be mad. I’ve already learned my lesson.”

Waldo raised an eyebrow, accepting the glass with a dry chuckle. “Mad at you? You’re the pampered darling of. the Ford family. Even if I were ten times braver, I wouldn’t dare stay angry with you.”

It was no secret that the Ford family of Lyhaton-the wealthiest in the city-held one mysterious young woman.

at the center of their affections. Though her name was rarely mentioned, her presence in the family was

legendary.