?Chapter 981:


    Corrine rested her chin on her palm, stirring her coffee in idle circles. “And you think I’m worried?”


    “Please. You’re a member of the Ford family. Fear isn’t in your vocabry,” Jules said proudly and confidently.


    A smirk ghosted across Corrine’s lips, but her eyes were sharp, ice-cold. “Andromache can pull whatever stunts she wants in Lyhaton, but the one thing she can’t do is challenge the Ford family’s standing.” That legacy was Carl’s life’s work. And it had been Corrine’s safe haven growing up. No one would shake the Ford family’s standing as the wealthiest—not while she had a say in it.


    As they spoke, Natasha knocked on the door again, nked by two staff members carrying an enormous bouquet of white tulips.


    Corrine blinked, momentarily caught off guard.


    Natasha offered an exnation. “These were delivered anonymously as well.”


    “Get rid of them,” Corrine said without a second thought.


    But just as the words left her mouth, her phone buzzed. A message from Nate.


    “Did you get them?”


    A jolt of realization struck—this bouquet was from Nate. “Wait!” she blurted out.


    Natasha halted, ncing back at her in question.


    “Bring the tulips here,” Corrine instructed, her voice asposed as ever, though a trace of warmth softened her expression.


    Natasha caught on right away, gesturing for the staff to bring the tulips over before quietly exiting the room.


    Jules, who had been watching the entire exchange, scoffed as Corrine admired the bouquet, a rare smile ying on her lips. “Look at you, grinning like an idiot. Corrine, you’re ady—try to act like one.”


    “This is different,” she replied, her smile fading slightly.


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    Jules let out a dry chuckle. “Though, now that I think about it, Nate has half the world gunning for him. How safe can you actually be with him?”


    “You really think he’s that unreliable?” Corrine arched a brow. “Besides, I can take care of myself.”


    Jules held her stare for a beat longer before exhaling sharply. “Do what you want. Just let me know before you go.”


    “I will.”


    As he turned to leave, Corrine suddenly called after him. “If Grandpa asks, tell him I’m away on business, okay?”


    Jules didn’t reply—he simply lifted a hand and gave a thumbs-up. Over the years, they had built an unspoken understanding, instinctively stepping in to cover for one another.


    Stepping out of the office, Jules pulled out his phone and sent a message to Nate.


    “If anything happens to her, don’t expect me to go easy on you.” With that, he stepped into the elevator. As the doors opened on the ground floor, he spotted Zeke.


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