Chapter 122 Owed Him A
Debt
With Corrine’s abilities, she had the power to resurrect the Ashton family–or destroy them entirely in the blink of an eye.
Back then, she made the bold, irrevocable choice to stand by Bruce, even if it meant
severing all ties with the Ford family. Karina never truly understood what Corrine had
seen in him.
“Was it for money?” Karina had once asked. But that didn’t make sense; the Ford family’s wealth easily reached hundreds of billions.
“Was it for status?” The Ford family stood at the pinnacle of Lyhaton’s elite, unrivaled
and untouchable.
“Was it for Bruce himself?”
That was even harder to believe. Back then, the Ashton family teetered on the edge of bankruptcy, and Bruce was just a broke nobody.
Corrine pressed her lips into a thin line, silent for a long time before finally murmuring, “Let’s just call it a debt I owe him.”
Five years ago, Bruce’s timely intervention had saved her life. Without him, she
wouldn’t even be here today.
That singular moment had kept her from utterly annihilating the Ashton family, despite their offenses.
After ending the call with Karina, she contacted Jules and gave a simple instruction. “Take the trending topic down immediately.”
Corrine exhaled softly, her thoughts still tangled, when a shadow loomed over her. She glanced up to see Nate standing before her, tall and commanding, his presence eclipsing the light.
With deliberate ease, his fingers tilted her chin upward. His expression was carved from stone, his gaze dark and impenetrable, sharp enough to cut through any pretense. “Tell
me,” he said, his voice low and firm. “Is Bruce the reason you won’t marry me?”
Corrine’s brows drew together, her eyes flashing with a trace of coldness. “Do you honestly think a scumbag like him is worth wasting my time on?”
Nate’s lips tugged into a slow, deliberate smile, one laced with intrigue. “Then why keep the Ashton family afloat?”
He knew full well the Ford family’s financial prowess and Corrine’s skill could have wiped Ashton Group off the map with ease.
Her inaction only deepened his curiosity.
Corrine’s smile returned, vibrant and dangerous, her beauty suddenly radiant with a bold, captivating energy that held his gaze hostage. “If I wanted to crush Ashton Group,” she said, her voice dripping with confidence, “no one could stop me.”
And Nate didn’t doubt it for a second. With Corrine’s sharp mind and unyielding determination, she could have rebuilt Ashton Group from ruin in just a year–or crushed them without breaking a sweat.
However, her earlier words didn’t address the question he had asked.
Since she clearly didn’t want to explain, he decided not to push her further.
It wasn’t Bruce himself that made Nate feel uneasy. It was the three wasted years Corrine had spent on him.
Still, hearing her refer to Bruce as a scumbag was enough to confirm she had moved on completely.
So, her hesitance to act against the Ashton family wasn’t just about Bruce.
“Then why won’t you marry me?” Nate pressed again, his tone steady but edged with frustration.
Corrine met his gaze and let out a soft, melodic laugh. “I’ve always believed the journey to marriage matters.‘
“Journey?” Nate echoed, the word foreign on his tongue.
To him, if he wanted something, he claimed it. The process was irrelevant–the outcome was everything.
“Meeting, getting to know one another, understanding, loving, committing, and finally building a life together,” she explained, her voice light yet resolute. “These steps may
seem simple, but they take time to blend into something meaningful. I think the truest love is proven when, no matter what trials or hardships come, you still choose each
other.”
Her voice softened as she spoke, and Nate caught the wistful glow in her expression,
her eyes sparkling with a hopefulness that outshone the stars.
He pressed his lips into a thin line, his dark eyes lingering on hers as warmth flickered in their depths. “If that’s what you want, I’ll walk that journey with you,” he said, his voice low but resolute.
