?Chapter 1002:


    Nothing more to say, Gorman let silence settle in the room.


    His n to stir up trouble between Linsey and Collin had seemed clever at first, but it was obvious now that he had misread them. Had Linsey really doubted Collin, there was no way she would have made up with him so quickly aftering back to Grester.


    Whatever they had been through, Linsey’s faith in Collin was now set in stone.


    And deep down, Gorman recognized that Collin trusted Linsey just as much—even if he didn’t want to admit it out loud.


    The more Gorman dwelled on the matter, the deeper his gloom grew. He turned his head slowly, his face hardened by the weight of his sorrow.


    In that moment, a long-held truth struck him clearly: No one could evere between Linsey and Collin now.


    After throwing away the trash, Collin went to the bathroom to wash his hands. He then took a seat beside Linsey.


    He said quietly, “Joanne’s chance toe along with Dustin today probably has something to do with her new connection to the Walton family. She’s now a Walton.”


    Despite not keeping up with Dustin muchtely, Collin still managed to gather the relevant details.


    Taking a moment to organize his thoughts, he continued, “Joanne’s parents don’te from money. She’s always been exceptionally smart, though. Her grades were excellent, and her school eventually sent her overseas, where she ran into Haven. Back then, Haven was doing alright, but her grades were far from impressive. Joanne, on the other hand, published a string of noteworthy academic papers and turned out to be a natural in finance.”


    Linsey kept her focus on Collin, curiosity written all over her face. “With a record like that, I bet Dustin’s mom thinks the world of her.”


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    Collin nodded. “She’s got this easygoing yet sharp personality. Honestly, she’s the type who could manage things at the Wade Group and still keep Dustin in check. Hester couldn’t ask for anyone better.”


    After a moment of thought, he added, “Still, nobody knows if she’ll actually end up with a spot at the Wade Group.”


    Linsey pressed her lips together, her confusion barely hidden. “I won’t go into everything else, but something about Joanne just feels… off.”


    Casting an uncertain nce Collin’s way, she continued, “Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to make this about myself. I genuinely feel like Joanne is paying more attention to me, but not in a bad way—it just leaves me a little confused.”


    A crease formed between Collin’s brows. “Are you sure that’s not in a bad way?”


    Before Linsey could respond, Gorman interjected, “You have to remember, Joanne and Haven got along well. It’s no coincidence that Kase chose Joanne to step into Haven’s shoes—part of it’s down to that old connection.”


    A low chuckle escaped him. “Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if Joanne had a hand in some of Haven’s past moves, staying out of sight the whole time.”


    Collin’s eyes narrowed. “If we’re talking about people who helped Haven, you should take a good look in the mirror.”


    Memories still nagged at him. If Gorman hadn’t brought Haven into Linsey’s life, maybe none of those doubts would have crept in between him and her.


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