Chapter 185 Her Status Is Far Beyond Anything I…
Kason hurried forward, his face lighting up with a surprised and delighted smile, standing with a modest air in front of Corrine.
Both Bruce and Leah knew well the weight of Kason’s history.
If it hadn’t been for the favor he had once received from the Burgess family years ago, Kason wouldn’t have spared the now declining family another glance.
Yet, the respect he showed Corrine, a woman from the countryside, was enough to make one pause and reconsider his true intentions.
“Miss Brooks, it’s a pleasure to see you again,” Kason said, his voice sincere and warm.
Karina, seeing Kason alongside Leah, couldn’t shake the feeling that they were working together, and she felt little more than indifferent.
Corrine nodded lightly, casting a brief glance at Kason before smiling back at him, her expression warm. “Mr. Collins, it’s been a while.”
Kason, aware of Corrine’s esteemed position within the Ford family, had expected at more distant reception.
So when she greeted him with such warmth, it caught him off guard, leaving him
humbled.
“Yes, it has indeed been a long time. I thought for sure you’d have forgotten me by now, he replied, a soft chuckle accompanying his words.
“You’re being too modest, Mr. Collins,” Corrine responded, a sly glint in her eyes as she glanced at Bruce and Leah, who were standing a short distance away. A subtle, knowing smile played at the corners of her lips. “I really should be on my way, so I won’t keep you any longer.”
“Actually, I was about to leave too. Would you like a ride?” Kason offered, his voice tinged with hope.
Salus Is Far Beyond Anything
“No, but thank you, Mr. Collins,” Corrine said with a polite smile, turning to walk away.
Karina quickly caught up with Corrine, her voice laced with frustration. “Why bother engaging with him? Aren’t you worried he’ll spill the beans?”
“He isn’t foolish enough to risk offending the entire Ford family,” Corrine replied, her voice firm yet laced with an undercurrent of certainty.
Her true background had to remain hidden, as per the Ford family’s wishes–unless Kason was reckless enough to challenge their influence.
Karina pouted, her lips curling in subtle defiance. “People gravitate toward those who are like them. He seems to be in sync with Leah.”
Corrine’s gaze flicked toward her, her expression cool. “Everyone looks out for their own
interests first.”
If Kason couldn’t even understand that simple truth, he wouldn’t have made it as far
as he had.
It wasn’t until Corrine’s figure had completely disappeared from sight that Kason slowly turned around.
Leah stood frozen in place, her eyes wide with disbelief, the words caught in her throat.
What had just happened?
Why had Kason been so respectful, so cautious around Corrine?
Could it be that her father’s downfall really had something to do with crossing Corrine?
But what connection could the Ford family possibly have with her?
Leah took a shaky breath, swallowed painfully to quell the dryness in her throat, and forced the words out. “Mr. Collins, do you know Miss Holland?”
“Not really,” Kason replied, his voice steady, though he couldn’t entirely mask the hesitation in his eyes.
It had been a fleeting encounter years ago. He could have easily exaggerated his connection to Corrine, but in the grand scheme of things, his status had always been insignificant to her.
Leah let out a quiet sigh of relief.
It seemed she had let her imagination run wild after all.
But then Kason added, his voice tinged with a hint of resignation, “After all, her status is far beyond anything I could reach.”
Leah’s expression twisted in shock, her body trembling with the force of her emotions, “Mr. Collins, are you certain you’re not mistaken?”
She blinked rapidly, as if trying to force the absurdity from her mind. “Miss Holland has no connections in Lyhaton.”
How could someone like her possibly possess such noble status?
Kason’s instinct was to correct her, to offer an explanation, but the memory of the Ford family’s tight control over Corrine’s true background stilled his tongue. He chose silence, nodding along with Leah’s assumptions. “Perhaps you’re right.”
He glanced at his watch, the shift in his demeanor signaling the end of the conversation. “It’s getting late. I have a meeting to attend.”
“Take care on your way, Mr. Collins,” Leah said, her voice thick with the weight of
unspoken thoughts.
As Kason left, his retreating figure left Bruce in a quiet reverie, his mind swirling with the unexpected turns of the conversation.
