Chapter 287 Was There Any Way Out Of This
Corrine maintained perfect composure as she met Leah’s gaze, her voice carrying an edge of ice. “The Burgess family’s factories have been closing one by one since that unfortunate tax scandal, yet here you are, spending so lavishly. Perhaps the whispers about your family’s financial troubles are mistaken. No doubt the Burgess empire will soon reclaim its former glory.”
Sarcasm dripped from every carefully chosen word.
Leah’s eyes hardened to steel as her fingers curled into tight fists, her manicured nails biting into her palms. The pain barely registered through her rising anger.
Everything had unraveled since Corey’s questioning, forcing him to make devastating choices for their business’s survival.
He had attributed his departure to health concerns, but Corrine’s pointed remarks were now stoking the flames of suspicion around their family’s predicament.
The realization of Corrine’s calculated malice struck Leah like a physical blow.
This explained the subtle rivalry Corrine had cultivated–she had been waiting for the perfect moment to tarnish the Burgess name.
A difficult choice lay before Leah: withdrawing would validate the rumors, but continuing the bid presented its own challenges.
Her personal finances amounted to just over twenty million, portions of which were already designated for the upcoming charity event.
While she had hoped to make a statement at the charity event, Corrine’s interference had derailed those plans entirely.
The bidding had already surpassed the suit’s actual worth, making further increases financially reckless.
Leah observed Corrine carefully, searching for cracks in her adversary’s impassive facade.
Was this composed exterior genuine, or merely a masterful performance?
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Gee my or
JANW’s mind aced, hey sooth guessing into her bottom lip.
We thank my way out of this without losing face?
If she backed down, the and Rite would be forced to kneel before Corrine and apologize. Worse wall, they’d have to perform a pole dance in the middle of Modern Square.
The very thought made Leath’s stomach twist with humiliation.
Her jew tightened. Then, with steely resolve, the declared, “Ten million.”
In test”s eyes, Contine was nothing more than a woman propped up by a wealthy benefactor And just how deep could a man’s pockets really be when he was spending on
someone is ben
Corrine’s eyebrow arched ever so slightly, her sharp gaze flickering to Leah.
There was something almost amused in her eyes, though it was laced with an undeniable moXERY,
Rita interjected with false generosity, “Corrine, let’s be frank. This suit belongs to Leah -you can’t compete. We’ll overlook your presumption out of respect for old times. Just kneel, apologize, and perhaps bark like a dog. We’ll consider the matter settled.”
Her tone was light, almost magnanimous as if they were offering an olive branch. But Corrine knew the truth–this was nothing more than a power play dressed in silk. Seizing upon Corrine’s silence, Leah pressed her advantage. “Miss Holland, you’re surviving in Lyhaton solely through male patronage. I almost pity your situation. Why sacrifice everything over a single suit when I’m offering you an easy way out?”
Her barbed words hung in the air, their calculated cruelty impossible to dismiss.
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