?Chapter 354:


    He was acutely aware that their marriage hadn’t been her choice.


    “What do you think, Mrs. Thorpe?” Kaiden gently tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, his fingers grazing her earlobe. His gaze softened, resembling the warmth of melting ice.


    Would he be this tender if he didn’t harbor some affection for her? As they stood there, the New Year countdown began from the square below.


    “Five!”


    “Four!”


    “Three!”


    “Two!”


    “One!”


    The New Year’s bell chimed amidst the fireworks.


    Dong! Dong! Dong!


    “Happy New Year, my Ellie,” Kaiden whispered, cradling her face and leaning in to seal the moment with a kiss.


    Amidst the spectacr fireworks disy, Kaiden’s thoughts swirled. Did he like her? Well, the answer was evidently clear. She was his, after all.


    This New Year’s Eve was far from ordinary. It was alive with gossip and revtions. The elite of Critport were abuzz with the unexpected turn of events at Erick’s grand celebration at Heart Ind Bar. The discussion was more intense than Ellie’s dramatic change from a top socialite to an orphan of uncertain lineage. Some of them derived a sense of schadenfreude from Erick’s antics.


    “So what if I am a poorly graded student? Erick of the Thorpe family is in the same boat! I may be a poorly graded student, but at least I don’t pretend to be something I’m not! I don’t just avoid pretense; I also don’t embarrass myself like Erick did!”


    The elite families reveled in this turn of events, all but the Thorpe family.


    At the Thorpes’ house, Erick was in a dire situation. He knelt in the study, being beaten by his father, Talon, who was outraged by Erick’s recent debacle.


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    “I invested so much to set you up for sess, and this is how you repay me? You squandered five hundred million to be aughingstock. What stupid act have youmitted now? Huh? You are so fucking useless! I should just kill you!” Talon huffed.


    In a fit of humiliation and rage, Erick blurted out, “It’s your fault! You bastard! If you were legitimate, the Thorpe family would already be mine. You im you’re setting me up, but it’s all for yourself!”


    “What? You, you!” Talon, driven to the brink of fury, raised the stick again. “Ungrateful wretch! I ought to end you!” Erick’s usations had hit a nerve, pushing Talon to his limits.


    “Talon, enough! He’s our only child. What we need to focus on is resolving this situation!” Genesis implored as she wrapped her arms around Talon, her voice filled with anxiety and sorrow. She pleaded, trying to quell Talon’s wrath, “Jorge is already displeased with all this.”


    Jorge, who always valued the family’s reputation, had consented to Kaiden’s removal from the family’s power structure. This decision wasn’t solely because Kaiden wasn’t his preferred heir; Kaiden had also tarnished the family’s name and caused Jorge personal shame, making him unsuitable as a family leader. But now, with Kaiden heading GT Group and posing a threat to the Thorpe Group, Erick’s failures were all the more ring. His academic dishonesty,ckluster performance inpetitions, and penchant for bragging had alle to light.


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