?Chapter 1040:


    Tightening her grip on her fork and knife, Rosalie cut through her food with restrained anger.


    After Corrine finished her meal, she carefully ced her napkin down and stood up. “I need to use the restroom. Please continue without me.”


    “I’ll go with you,” Nate said, putting down his utensils, ready to rise, but Corrine gently pressed her hand to his shoulder.


    “No need. Mandy ising with me.” With that, she left.


    After Corrine’s departure, Rosalie couldn’t hold back her curiosity and asked Doug, “Did you really see her at that elite military skillspetition?”


    “She confirmed it herself,” Doug replied.


    At that moment, Nate took a sip of his wine, setting the ss down with a soft, yet deliberate sound, almost like an unspoken warning.


    Rosalie froze; her smile stiffened. “I just find it hard to believe…” She had always thought Corrine was just another pretty face, devoid of any real depth.


    But if she had really participated in an elite militarypetition, that changed everything.


    Moses and Zack, however, remainedposed, their expressions unreadable.


    They had witnessed Corrine take on eight opponents at once.


    They had assumed Jules’ training exined herbat skills. But now, they realized how naive that assumption had been.


    Herbert casually cut his steak, ncing at Nate, and remarked, “Your fiancée is quite extraordinary.”


    When Herbert had first met Corrine, it was her beauty that had caught his attention. But now, he saw how easily that striking appearance could mask her true strength.


    Nate swirled his wine ss, watching the ruby liquid move in graceful circles like a blooming rose. “The heiress of the Ford family, the wealthiest family in Lyhaton, should not be underestimated.” Each word dripped with pride.


    Everyone in the room understood that, despite the Ford family’s immense wealth, it mattered little to Nate.


    His admiration for the Ford family stemmed only from one person: Corrine.


    “She truly is an exceptional heiress,” Herbert said, his words free of any mockery. There was only respect in his voice.


    Meanwhile, Corrine followed a staff member to the sky garden, where the night seemed to merge seamlessly with the garden’s lush beauty.


    Fireflies floated in the air like tiny stars.


    She settled into a swing, her eyes drifting to a distant building.


    “What’s that ce?”


    “The Powell family’s property,” Mandy replied.


    Corrine nodded. “The Powell family, one of the five major families of the Independent Continent?”


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