?Chapter 625:


    After all, the hall was filled with young heirs, ustomed to sweet words and gentle strokes to their egos, not the bitter sting of insults. Had it been anyone else who made such a remark, a fight would have surely erupted by now.


    But the one casting the barb was none other than Jules—a real Ford. No matter the bitterness welling in their hearts, they were all forced to wear smiles that were more forced than a puppet’s, biting back their pride like a bitter pill.


    The air in the room felt suffocating, as though the walls themselves were closing in.


    Just as the tension seemed unbearable, a staff member stepped into the room, announcing that lunch was ready, inviting everyone to move to the dining hall. Like a breath of fresh air, the mood lightened, and the crowd began to shuffle toward the next room.


    Carl led the charge, nked by the heads of the Seymour, Hoffman, and Brooks families, their footsteps echoing in the hall.


    Corrine, however, trailed behind them, strolling at her own unhurried pace, as though the urgency of the moment had no power over her. Jules, noticing her deliberate slowness, matched his steps with hers, as if afraid she might grow weary of the proceedings.


    His eyes quickly scanned her outfit, and he clicked his tongue in clear disapproval.


    “Look at you. This is what you’re wearing? It’s one thing to dress like this on an…


    “Ordinary day, but can you not see the asion? Every other woman here is striving to outshine the next, yet you make no effort. It’s such a waste of your beauty.”


    Though Jules had little taste for the provocative dresses unted by some of the other women, Corrine’s overly modest style irked him just as much.


    Corrine raised an eyebrow, her voice light but sharp as she replied, “Last I checked, there’s no official dress code for today. Besides, they’re here to chase after a marriage of convenience. I don’t need to y that game.”


    Her words left Jules speechless for a beat.


    After all, a woman protected by a lion doesn’t concern herself with the scraps thrown by jackals.


    They reached the dining hall, and everyone took their ces. The designated seats for the younger members were at the far end of the table, though Corrine was the exception, granted the honor of sitting beside Carl.


    Such preferential treatment didn’t go unnoticed, and the other young women couldn’t mask their envy.


    “Look at her,” one whispered.


    “That sly, flirtatious smile. No wonder the men of the Ford family are so taken with her.”


    “She must have some tricks up her sleeve. How else could she have weaseled her way into the Ford family?”


    “Shh! Keep it down! What if Carl hears you?”


    At the mention of Carl, the younger crowd instinctively nced in his direction, only to meet his piercing gaze. Their hearts faltered, and they quickly averted their eyes, their focus now entirely on their tes. Carl shifted his attention and addressed Quentin.


    “Where’s the person you arranged?” he inquired.


    “He’s on his way,” Quentin answered, just as the sound of footsteps echoed from the doorway.


    Corrine looked up to see Moses entering. Her eyes searched for a familiar figure behind him. She waited, but no one else followed him.


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