?Chapter 317:


    Not a chance.


    Bruce shook the thought away. Corrine might have some influence, but there was no way she alone could bend the will of those in power.


    Yet, upon reflection, Bruce could not recall any recent conflicts involving the Ashton family, other than with Corrine. If not Corrine, then who could it be?


    “Mr. Hayes, the higher we climb, the more scrutiny we face. The Ashton family has always strived to foster positive connections. I’m at a loss as to whom we might have upset. Could you assist in identifying them? I would like to offer my personal apologies.”


    As he spoke, Bruce rose and poured a drink for Clive, presenting it with both hands as a gesture of humility. The Ashton family hadbored to recover from previous setbacks to reach their present prominence. Bruce was determined to prevent any recurrence of past difficulties.


    Observing Bruce for a brief moment, Clive epted the drink.


    “Mr. Ashton, we have a history. Naturally, I’ll assist you in this matter.”


    Bruce’s expression softened slightly at those words, yet a sense of unease persisted. The food before him lost its appeal, tasting nd.


    At that moment, Corrine’s phone rang with a call from the Ashton family.


    “Miss Hond, these issues require formal processes. Are you avable tomorrow?” Mird said.


    As she swirled her wine, a rxed smile graced Corrine’s lips, highlighting her mesmerizing allure. Her gaze seemed to effortlessly ensnare the hearts of those around her. Nate’s attention was fixed on her, his look intensifying.


    Oblivious to his stare, Corrine responded with a light tone, “That was faster than expected.”


    Mird, on the other end, experienced a surge of worry and hastened to rify, saying, “Miss Hond, the amount involved isn’t trivial. These things take time.”


    Corrine interjected, uninterested in the details, “Tomorrow, at three in the afternoon.”


    She set the phone down and reached for her wine ss again, only to find the gourmet meal in front of her unappealing. Something felt off.


    The satisfaction she expected from her sessful maniption of the Ashton family was absent. Despite achieving her excessive demands, her spirit remained oddly undisturbed.


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    To Corrine, the Ashton family had grown as remote as strangers. Perhaps the realization came when she severed her ties with Bruce, or maybe it was when she recognized that Bruce was not the savior she had been seeking all along. It might even have been the moment she acknowledged that her feelings for Bruce were not rooted in love but in dependency.


    And strangers do not typically be embroiled in theplex emotions of love and resentment. Thus, her actions against the Ashton family were simply a reflex, a reaction to their provocations and trespasses against her personal boundaries.


    Corrine paused to take a sip from her wine ss.


    Nate looked up at her and inquired, “Is the food not to your liking?”


    “No, it’s just that I’m not particrly hungry,” Corrine responded, setting down her ss and delicately wiping her mouth.


    Nate’s eyes dimmed, concealing a chill, as he softly said, “Out of sight, out of mind.”


    Hearing this, Corrine’s attention snapped to him, her eyes narrowing.


    “What are you plotting?”


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