NovelEnglishThe Betrayed Heiress' Return to Elegance 231
Chapter 231 Not Yours To
Rule
Bruce abruptly sat up as Farris approached, his cane tapping against the floor with each step. Without hesitation,
Bruce rose to his feet and gave a respectful nod. "Grandpa."
Tracy, still seething from Farris' recent scolding, struggled to contain her resentment. Yet, in his presence, she
had no choice but to maintain a facade. Forcing a polite expression, she greeted him in a flat tone, "Farris."
"| want the details about your conversation with Corrine." Farris' piercing gaze locked onto Bruce, his scrutiny
unwavering. "If she's willing to forgive, we'll hold a press
conference and clear her name."
Tracy's’ eyes flared with frustration. "Are you serious, Farris? Have you completely lost it? Corrine was the one
who wronged us first! Now that her scandal has exploded, why should we go out of our way to salvage her
reputation? And if Bruce publicly defends her, won't that just humiliate him in front of everyone?"
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“Enough!” Farris struck his cane against the floor with a forceful crack, the sound slicing through the room like a
blade. The sheer authority behind it made Tracy go rigid, her voice dying in her throat.
"How did someone as disgraceful as you find their way into the Ashton family? If not for Corrine's strategies all
these years, do you really think this family would have survived its past crises? Everything you enjoy your
luxury, your comfort-is because of her efforts! Without her, what right do you have to live in such excess? If you
hadn't meddled in Bruce's life, he would have married Corrine long ago, and none of this would be happening
now! And yet you have the audacity to claim she's the one who wronged us?”
For years, Farris had withdrawn from the family business, choosing a quiet retirement while Bruce took over the
company.
His absence had led everyone to believe the once formidable patriarch had softened with age.
Now, faced with his fury, the room fell into an uneasy silence. Not a single soul dared
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to breathe too loudly.
"Grandpa, | let Corrine down. | broke her trust, and no matter what | say, she won't forgive me..." Bruce exhaled
heavily, recounting every detail of his conversation with
Corrine.
Farris’ expression darkened, his features taut with an unfamiliar gravity. "She actually
said that?"
Bruce gave a firm nod. "She did."
Tracy, who had been biting her tongue, finally snapped, "What ridiculous nonsense is
Corrine spewing? Does she really think the Ashton family is as powerless as it was three years ago? Apologizing
to her is a waste of time! Those scandalous photos from
her so-called 'kidnapping'-that was karma. People like her deserve-"
"Deserve what?" Farris' voice dropped to a chilling low, cutting through the air like
blade.
His eyes, though clouded with age, burned with a ferocity that sent an icy dread down
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Tracy's, spine.
She swallowed hard, her bravado crumbling as she averted her gaze. The unfinished
words died in her throat.
"As a member of the Ashton family, you're supposed to carry yourself with grace.
How dare you speak such venom?" Farris added.
Tracy clenched her fists. “The truth always comes out eventually. Are we supposed to bury her disgrace?"
The longer she listened, the more it seemed Farris had lost his grip on reality.
Instead of protecting the Ashton family's reputation, he was defending Corrine-an outsider with no blood ties to
them.
"Honestly, she did us a favor by leaving Bruce. If she hadn't, he'd be the biggest joke in town by now! Once this
spreads, the Ashton nwill be dragged through the mud!"
"Enough! Not another word!" Farris' cane struck the floor with a sharp crack. "I'm still very much alive, and the
Ashton family is not yours to rule!"
His words cut through Tracy like a dagger, their sting burrowing deep into her chest.
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