?Chapter 1091:


    Jolie’s eyebrow arched, and she fixed Aria with a level stare, curious what usations woulde next. A shadow flickered over her features. “Make things right for what?”


    Aria retorted, barely containing her outrage, “Come on! Drop the act! We both know Jeffry cheated on Evelyn. Your family ought to make things right. You have more money than you could use—five billion is nothing to you. But you’re not willing to give us that small amount? How outrageous!”


    Jolie frowned, her patience thinning. “When exactly did Jeffry cheat on Evelyn?”


    Aria let out a smirk. “Drop that fake bafflement. I once believed Jeffry was a man of honor. That’s why I agreed to my daughter marrying him. But who would have guessed he’d sink so low as to have a mistress? Everyone always talks up the Harper boys, saying they’re all loyal and upstanding. From what I see, it’s just a show. Underneath it all, they’re just spoiled and reckless.”


    Anger shed in Jolie’s eyes. Her lips pressed into a thin line. “Are you finished?”


    But Aria only doubled down. “Just give me a straight answer. Are you giving us the five billion or not?”


    Jolie had nned to keep the peace, but Aria’s nerve made her blood run cold. She didn’t bother to keep things civil anymore. “Five billion might be pocket change to us, but that doesn’t mean we owe it to you.”


    The tension exploded. Aria shot up from her chair, her voice echoing through the room, “You’d better watch how far you push us!”


    A chill swept through Jolie’s gaze. “And what exactly do you n to do?” She found Aria’s threat almost amusing. For all her bluster, who was really applying the pressure here?


    Aria could only fume silently, so angry that she could barely form a sentence. Before the situation spiraled, Jerry leaned over and guided Aria back into her seat. Turning his attention to Jolie, he tried a gentler approach. “Jolie, I hope you won’t take my wife’s words too personally. The Morgan Group is facing some real challenges. I’m asking you, for old time’s sake, to help us out.” Jerry’s voice was calm, his words chosen with care—a sharp contrast to Aria’s impulsiveness. He knew how to blend a plea with a warning. “You and I both know the Harpers value their reputation. Why let things get messy? If you help us now, we won’t forget it.”


    Everyone could tell he expected Jolie to fold under the weight of his reasoning. For families like the Harper family, public image was currency.


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    Despite Jerry’s friendly tone, Jolie caught the message beneath the surface. Jerry was dangling a threat behind every word. There was no mistaking it. If the Harper family refused to hand over the five billion, the Morgans would stir up every possible rumor about Jeffry’s supposed infidelity.


    Never had Jolie imagined the Morgans would stoop this low. She pressed her lips together until they thinned, a chill settling in her tone. “Everything between Jeffry and Evelyn was nothing more than a business deal. Commitment and loyalty were never requested. We don’t owe you anything.” The news drained the color from Jerry’s and Aria’s faces.


    “That’s impossible!”


    “I would have known if that were true!”


    With a small shrug, Jolie remarked, “You’re wee to check with Evelyn if you think I’m lying.”


    Aria sat rooted to the spot, unable to process what she’d just heard.


    Jerry, hands trembling, reached for his phone and dialed Evelyn’s number. The call that had gone unanswered before was finally picked up.


    Jerry wasted no time. “Evelyn, answer me—did you and Jeffry have a real marriage, or was it just a business deal?”


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