?Chapter 1342:


    Bryant’s talk of hefty sponsorship and unshakable alliances had not fallen on deaf ears. Corrine was certain Universe Financial Group was now tangled in his web—a tool for whatever agenda he was plotting.


    Kinsley’s lips curved, slow and deliberate. There was a sh of mischief in her smile,ced with something far darker. “As long as he does not hurt you, I will keep my hands clean. But if he crosses that line… then he cannot me me when things get ugly.”


    To Kinsley, Corrine was not just a friend. She was family—the heart of the Red me—and no oneid a finger on her without consequences. If Bryant even dared to try, Kinsley would make sure he regretted ever stepping into their world.


    Corrine knew this fierce loyalty ran deep in Kinsley. It warmed her, unsettled her. And still, her mind was drawn back to the broader game Bryant was ying—one that ced Universe Financial Group in jeopardy.


    “When we step out there, act like you do not know me,” she said suddenly.


    Kinsley blinked. Her brow creased. What kind of absurd tactic was that?


    Corrine met her confusion with calm resolve. “You are my hidden card. If he forces my hand, then I will y it. But not before.”


    Of course, Kinsley saw through the excuse. Corrine was protecting her, and hiding her strategy behind a neat little lie. Still, it was not something she could argue with.


    She sighed. “Fine. But let’s be clear—if he makes a move, I am not just going to watch from the sidelines.”


    “You won’t have to,” Corrine replied, her voice quiet but certain.


    By the time they returned to the first-floor lounge—one trailing behind the other—the air was already thick with whispers. Corrine’s brief absence had stirred spection like a breeze rustling dry leaves.


    Corrine walked in quietly, her expression unreadable, eyes distant, as though her thoughts were lost somewhere far away.


    Kinsley, on the other hand, glided forward with her chin slightly raised, a smug glint in her eye and a fresh dress swaying elegantly around her ankles. She resembled a peacock that had just imed its throne.


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    And just like that, the murmurs ignited once again.


    “Did you see that?” someone whispered, voice barely above a breath. “She may be from the Ford family, the wealthiest in Lyhaton, but even she knows when to bow her head in front of Miss Atkinson.”


    “Well, what choice does she have?” another responded with quiet conviction. “Miss Atkinson has Universe Financial Group behind her. Offending thatpany is like cutting your own throat. Every family’s finances run through Universe Financial Group these days.”


    “If she wanted to, Miss Atkinson could freeze your cash flow for a week,” chimed in a third voice. “That alone would be enough to make most of these people crumble.”


    “I heard they are handpicking strategic partners for the next fiscal year,” added someone else, lowering their voice as if passing a secret. “Universe Financial Group holds veto power in the final decision. If Ford Group just stepped on Miss Atkinson’s toes, that veto is going to fall hard.”


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