?Chapter 430:


    Haley had never been fond of her aunt. Vivian and the rest of them were all waiting for her to fall, circling like vultures for a chance at her father’s fortune. Vivian’s son, Sylvester, was a walking disappointment. He couldn’t even make waves in Achury, much lesspete in Choria.


    Haley shot her aunt a sharp look. “That’s still better than Sylvester. I’ve built real contacts in Choria, and once I’m back, they’ll back me up for sure.”


    Vivian’s face darkened. “Why drag Sylvester into this? You think you’re better than him? You just tanked one of our biggest business arms!”


    As their voices rose, Alistair mmed his fist on the table, silencing the room. “Enough! We’re supposed to be having dinner, not tearing each other apart. Haley, I’ll let the Choria incident slide this once, but don’t expect me to hand over the business to you again.”


    Haley sat frozen in disbelief. She was Alistair’s daughter—by blood! If she wasn’t even granted her rightful inheritance, what did that make her? A disgrace? Aplete failure?


    “Dad!” she cried out, refusing to ept what he had just said.


    Alistair’s eyes were cold as ice. “That’s enough. My decision is final.”


    Without another word, he set down his cutlery, wiped his mouth calmly, and walked out of the room.


    Vivian didn’t hide the smug look on her face. “So this is how you treat your elders now? Seems like your time in Choria wiped out whatever manners you had left.”


    Beatrice, though clearly upset, still spoke up. “Vivian, that’s enough. Haley didn’t mean it.”


    Vivian let out a harshugh. “You? You’re not even one of us by blood. If you hadn’t married into this family, who would even listen to you? And let me remind you—you once imed your daughter was better than my son. How’s that working out now?”


    Beatrice’s face stiffened with shame, but she didn’t back down. “Haley is Alistair’s daughter. You have no right to lecture her.”


    Without another word, she took Haley’s hand and led her out of the room.


    Vivian scoffed, threw her napkin down in irritation, and stood up with a huff. In her room, Haley jerked her hand away in frustration. “Mom, why’d you drag me out? Vivian’s the one who should’ve left! This is my house, not hers!”


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    Beatrice stared at Haley’s indignant face, her heart full of bitterness. “And whose fault do you think this is?”


    Beatrice chose to step back and give Haley some time to cool down. She could see clearly that Haley still wasn’t ready to admit she was wrong, and trying to reason with her now would only be a waste of time.


    Seeing her mother walk away, Haley panicked. Her eyes filled with desperation as she reached out and grabbed Beatrice’s hand.


    “Mom, please don’t go. Talk to Dad for me… make him take back what he said. I’ll stay in Achury, I won’t go to Choria anymore. But he can’t take everything from me like this!”


    Beatrice gently but firmly pulled her hand back. “There’s nothing I can do. You know how your father is. Once he decides, it’s done.”


    Ever since Haley used her in Choria of being an unfit mother, something inside Beatrice had broken. The warmth she once felt for her daughter had long turned cold.


    Left alone, Haley sank onto her bed,pletely crushed. She had nothing now. If she stayed in Achury, she’d be mocked endlessly. News of her downfall would spread like wildfire.


    Ste had stripped her of everything, and there was no way she’d just sit back and let the woman walk free.


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