?Chapter 771:


    It was no secret—she had vehemently opposed Corrine and Bruce’s rtionship. She had seen Corrine as nothing more than a thorn in her side. Yet, she couldn’t deny the undeniable—Corrine’s presence in the Ashton family had brought a golden age of prosperity. Even if Tracy loathed admitting it, without Corrine, the Ashton family might have long lost its foothold in Lyhaton. Their current sess had her invisible fingerprints, no doubt.


    Since Corrine left, misfortune seemed to dog their every step. The steady decline of their business left Bruce burning the midnight oil. And despite Tracy’s pride, she couldn’t help but wish, in her most vulnerable moments, that Corrine had never left. But pride was a stubborn thing. Tracyforted herself with the notion that Corrine’s background had never truly matched Bruce’s status.


    After all, people like Tracy always wanted the best of both worlds. She had wanted Corrine’s loyalty, her sharp mind, her ability to steady the family’s empire—while simultaneously looking down on where she came from.


    Corrine, however, was surprised. Tracy—who had once spoken to her only in clippedmands or disdainful res—was actually addressing her.


    “What do you want, Mrs. Ashton?” Corrine arched a brow, a mocking smirk curling at the edges of her lips.


    The sharpness in her tone made Tracy regret speaking to her at all. She forced a brittle smile, concealing the bitterness gnawing at her. “Oh, nothing. I merely noticed how well you seem to be doing, Miss Hond. You’re positively glowing.”


    Corrine’s bright smile was a perfect contrast to the sarcasmcing her voice. “Well, after you so generouslypensated me with five percent of yourpany’s market value, I’ve had no reason to struggle. Life has been quitefortable. I do wonder, though—how is Miss Ashton faring these days?”


    The questionnded like a blow. Tracy’s mask of civility cracked, and her expression twisted with fury. Those old wounds tore open, raw and festering, especially thetter.


    After the fiasco at the cruise ship auction, Rita’s reputation had taken a nosedive. Finding a suitable match had be an impossible task—no respectable family would consider her, not even the ones of lesser standing. Then, to Tracy’s utter humiliation, it was discovered that Rita was pregnant.


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    A scandal like that? It was unforgivable.


    Tracy had been left with no choice but to arrange for a quiet abortion. Rita had suffered. And Tracy had suffered right alongside her daughter. But she had no one to confide in, no outlet for the bitterness that churned inside her. She had swallowed her pride, her rage, her grief.


    Now, Corrine’s casual remark felt like salt on an open wound. Her rage red, a wildfire behind her eyes, her body trembling with the force of it.


    “You… You ruined everything! If not for you, my daughter wouldn’t have ended up like this! You’re spiteful, Corrine. And people like you always meet their end. Karma will—”


    “Mrs. Ashton!” Corrine’s icy voice cut through the tirade.


    Corrine lifted her gaze toward Tracy, her eyes glinting with a cold, piercing light. Her voice, sharp as winter’s chill, sliced through the air. “Rita’s misfortune is entirely of her own making. If she hadn’t schemed against me, would she have ended up in this mess? And now, you have the audacity to me me? I can’t tell whether you’re simply quick to forget your lessons or if I’ve been far too lenient with all of you!”


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