?Chapter 548:


    “So, you called just to remind me of biology?”


    “I do not have time for games. Withdraw thewsuit against rissa immediately!” Dewey retorted.


    “If you drop the charges, there will still be a ce for you in the Hond family. Otherwise, do not expect me to go easy on you.”


    Corrine lowered her gaze, her grip tightening around the phone. A slow, dangerous smile curved her lips.


    “Then do not hold back.”


    Dewey’s anger erupted.


    “rissa is your sister! How can you do this to…?”


    “Because I am the ungrateful daughter you never cared for.” Her voice dropped into something colder, something ruthless.


    “Either rissa turns herself in and takes responsibility, or the Hond family will soon receive a court summons. Make a choice.” With that, she ended the call.


    The silence that followed was deafening. Dewey’s fury boiled over as he mmed the phone onto his desk, his roar shaking the room.


    “That ungrateful brat! I should have beaten her to death back then—ended all our problems once and for all!”


    rissa, standing nearby, flinched but quickly masked her unease. She hesitated before asking, “Dad, what do we do now? Do I really have to turn myself in? What about the Hond family’s reputation?”


    Dewey took a deep, slow breath before reaching for a cigarette. He lit it with steady fingers, inhaling deeply, his expression unreadable. The smoke curled around him as his deep voice carried across the room.


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    “This matter is not beyond negotiation. As long as we get in touch with Natasha and her mother and reach a private settlement, the police will have no reason to interfere.”


    rissa’s eyes flickered with understanding as she nodded obediently.


    “Got it, Dad.”


    That very night, Dewey made his move. His voice was calm, his intention clear as he spoke into the phone.


    “As long as you withdraw thewsuit and agree to a private settlement, you can name your terms.”


    After Corrine and her group arrived in Lyhaton, they shared a quiet dinner together before parting ways for the night. Before they separated, Alina sped Corrine’s hand, her voice thick with emotion.


    “Corrine, thank you—for everything.”


    No matter how deeply she felt, Alina knew there were no words that could truly express the gratitude she and her daughter owed to the Ford family. But sometimes, a simple, heartfelt thank you carried more weight than an entire speech.


    “There is no need for that.” Corrine squeezed Alina’s hand, feeling the rough calluses that spoke of years of hardship andbor. Those hands had weathered time, carried burdens too heavy for one person to bear. She sighed, a wistful smile flickering across her lips.


    “If you had not stepped in that day, I might not be standing here today.”


    Back then, when they first uncovered Natasha’s suffering, they had all agreed—she had to escape that hellish home. But fate had a cruel sense of timing. Just as they were about to act, Bryan returned, his ego bruised from a lost bet. The moment he saw them, something vile and twisted ignited in his gaze. Malice took root in his mind like a weed.


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