The Jilted Heiress' Return To The High Life novel Chapter 109

Chapter 109 Shift The

Blame

Rita’s head snapped up, her wide eyes locking on Corrine with a mix of shock and disbelief.

Corrine’s expression was cool and unyielding, her lips curving in a faint, almost ruthless smile that sent a shiver down Rita’s spine.

Rita’s heart hammered in her chest. Without thinking, she took a step back, her fingers clinging tightly to Tracy’s arm. Her voice wavered as she stammered, “Corrine… what are you trying to do? Don’t forget–this is the Ashton family’s home!”

Corrine tilted her head slightly, her smile widening just enough to make Rita’s unease grow. “Precisely, Miss Ashton. Because this is the Ashton residence, it’s all the more important for you to keep your word. If you break your promise now, it won’t just tarnish your name–it will make people consider the entire Ashton family unreliable.”

Rita’s chest tightened. Regret churned in her gut like a storm, but what good was regret now?

Every pair of eyes in the room bored into her, expectant, unyielding. The weight of their judgment felt suffocating, as if they wouldn’t let her go until she knelt and apologized.

The pressure seemed to ignite a spark of defiance in her. Her lips trembled as she glared at Corrine, her voice rising in desperation. “You think I’ll just believe you because you said so? What proof do we have this old man isn’t just someone you brought in to back up your lies? Maybe this whole thing was staged!”

The room fell into stunned silence, the collective gasp palpable as everyone stared at

Rita.

Her audacity left them speechless.

Tracy’s face tensed, and she opened her mouth to reprimand her daughter, but before she could speak, Farris‘ voice boomed, sharp and unrelenting. “Rita, enough!”

His words carried a weight that silenced everyone in the room. With Donnelly’s revered

position in Lyhaton, even the Ashton family dared not offend him. Rita’s outburst was nothing short of reckless.

Panic rose in her throat, her composure slipping as tears pooled in her eyes. “Grandpa, I…” Her voice cracked, and she bit her lip, helpless and humiliated.

Tracy gently rested her hand over Rita’s trembling fingers, giving them a reassuring pat. Her quiet gesture urged Rita to calm down, though her own face betrayed her dismay.

She then turned her attention to Corrine, her tone firm and with a hint of anger. “Corrine, if you already knew the pen holder was authentic, why didn’t you just say so? Did you orchestrate all this just to humiliate Rita?”

Corrine couldn’t suppress a soft laugh, the sound laced with quiet amusement. “Would you have believed me if I had?” she asked, her tone smooth but cutting. “From the very beginning, your family has done nothing but make life difficult for me. It was Rita who demanded that I kneel and apologize; it was Rita who made the bet. And now, when things don’t go your way, you want to place the blame on me?”

Leah’s voice, calm and conciliatory, cut in before Tracy could respond. “Rita is young, impulsive, and acted out of emotion. Please, have some compassion and forgive her this one time.”

“Why should I be forgiving?” Corrine’s voice was sharp, her smile cold. “We all have one life to live. I choose to hold grudges, to be petty, and I believe in fair retribution.”