?Chapter 698:


    Leah took a deep breath, her gaze dropping to the floor in an attempt to smother the fire of jealousy that threatened to burn through her. When she lifted her eyes again, her expression softened into a practiced, apologetic smile.


    “Miss Hond, I’m truly sorry. I didn’t realize this incident was tied to me,” she said, her words carrying an air of contrition.


    She believed she had humbled herself sufficiently, but Corrine remained absorbed in reading the instructions on a bottle of medicinal spray, a scene that left Leah’s smile hanging stiffly, like a mask unable to conceal her growing irritation.


    Andromache, noticing the tension, gave Leah a knowing nce before turning to Nate.


    “Nate,” she began, her tone smooth and conciliatory, “this incident was caused by Leah’s assistant’s rash actions. Thankfully, it didn’t lead to anything irreversible. Given the assistant’s remorse, perhaps we can consider letting this matter rest?”


    Her words seemed like an offer of peace, yet beneath themy the weight of a senior family member’s authority, a subtle pressure that seemed almost too much to bear.


    However, Nate did not flinch. He continued peeling his apple, unaffected by her words, as though he hadn’t even heard her. The room, thick with unspoken tension, seemed to hang suspended in time.


    Leah, feeling more and more like a puppet in this silent drama, could barely contain the fury rising within her. Her face flushed with embarrassment and anger, and in a split second, she pped her assistant across the face, her hand crackling through the still air.


    The sharp p echoed through the room as itnded directly on the assistant’s face. Stumbling backward, the assistant copsed onto the floor in a tangled mess, a thin stream of blood staining the corner of her mouth. Her cheek began to swell, turning a painful shade of red.


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    “ying the fool now, are you?” Leah sneered, her eyes briefly flicking to Corrine before she gave a cold snort. She gazed down at the assistant, her voice dripping with scorn.


    “Where was this act when you messed up? Why didn’t you own up to it? Hiding like a frightened turtle in its shell—what’s the point of that? You want me to apologize on your behalf? Is that it? Does it fill you with satisfaction to see me grovel? You deserved this p. I offered you a way out, but you dug in your heels. You asked for this, and you got it!”


    Though her words seemed aimed at the assistant’s failure to apologize, it was clear, upon closer inspection, that Leah was using the situation to speak to Corrine.


    Andromache noticed the subtle shift in focus, but she did not intervene. Instead, she sat on a sofa, nonchntly admiring her freshly manicured nails, a cold, almost imperceptible smile ying at the corners of her lips. To her, Corrine was nothing more than a pampered child, shielded by the indulgence of others, ungrateful for the handouts she’d been given. Andromache hade here with Leah to apologize, to offer Corrine respect. Yet, seeing theck of appreciation, she decided she would not lower herself further.


    In her mind, Corrine did not deserve to marry Nate.


    “At the end of the day, you’re just a loyal follower,” Andromache’s voice floated through the room, sharp as a de.


    “You’re only here because someone decided to indulge you. Do you think your arrogance is your own achievement?”


    Her words cut deeper, the hostility toward Corrine unmistakable. But Corrine seemed unshaken, her face as nk as a winter’s night, her gaze lifting to meet Andromache’s without a hint of emotion.


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