Exposing the Charade of Deep Affection (PDF)

Chapter 85 I Loved Him More Than You Could Ever Imagine

I shook my head, "Of course not."

She asked, puzzled, "Then you..."

I smiled faintly, looking at her puzzled expression, "I will find out about the things that happened in the past, and I will return all the sins you made me suffer, one by one. So, Ashley, there has never been such a word as 'cooperation' between us. Don't come looking for me in the future, I won't help you, let alone cooperate with you."

"You..." She glared at me, no longer hiding the malice on her face, and said, "Fine, if that's the case, then don't blame me for disregarding our familial ties."

Family love?

I laughed, mockingly looking at her and said, "Ashley, do we have any kinship between us?"

Seeing me like this, she let out a cold laugh and said to me, "Indeed, there is no blood relation, but Tabatha, have you forgotten? Even if I'm not the biological daughter of the Conner family, legally, I'm still a daughter of the Conner family. I also have a share in the Conner Group."

I furrowed my brows, watching her warily, "What do you want to do?"

She sneered, "Father left in such a hurry, he probably didn't have time to make a will. Therefore, I have a share in the Conner Group under his name. Now, what do you think would happen if I stirred up a lawsuit about the Conner family's daughter fighting for shares in the

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Conner Group?"

My heart couldn't help but skip a beat. Indeed, my father had not left a will. According to legal procedures, Ashley could inherit one-third of my father's shares and property. This one-third, even without a lawsuit, she could inherit naturally. Not to mention if a lawsuit was involved.

The Conner Group had just stabilized. If another lawsuit were to arise, not to mention other factors, public opinion alone could cause The Conner Group's stock to plummet.

I pursed my lips, suppressing the resentment and anger in my heart, and looked at her, "Ashley, what on earth do you want to do?"

"You persuaded Walter not to send me to Aeledge," she looked at me and began, "Since you know that Henry has returned to the country, let's be frank, Henry is planning to take action against the Hinton. Group. He had his eyes on the assets of the Hinton Group years ago, so he is planning to take down Walter this time he comes back."

Her words didn't surprise me. I just looked at her with a calm expression, waiting for her to continue.

She continued to speak, "Yes, I was placed by Henry at Walter's side, but I never intended to harm Walter, Tabatha. I love him more than you can imagine, so I would never hurt him. I stayed by his side just to help him. With me around, at least in a crisis, I would know where Henry, this venomous snake, would strike."

I pursed my lips, remaining silent. As for Ashley's words, how much was believable and how much was not, I could no longer distinguish.

Looking at her, I said, "You could have sought Walter, instead of me."

She shook her head, somewhat despairingly, "Walter is responsible. Even if he doesn't have feelings for you, because you are his wife, if you care, he will let me go, Tabatha. If you really consider him your

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husband, you should let me help him, not turn a blind eye."

I laughed, thinking her logic was flawed, and said, "Ashley, isn't your thinking wrong? If you really wanted to help Walter, you should have told him about Henry's intentions when Henry returned to his country, instead of moving into the Hinton family under the pretext of pregnancy, usurping their place, and now you're powerless and trying to morally kidnap me."

Perhaps seeing that I was impervious to her words, she became somewhat infuriated, glaring at me and saying, "Tabatha, I kindly asked you, but you are so self-righteous. Someone like you is not worthy of being Walter's wife at all."

Having no interest in continuing the conversation with her, I pushed her out of the office.

Sitting back in the chair, I couldn't help but squint slightly. I knew Ashley too well. She considered asking me for help a humiliation, and she wouldn't come to me unless she was absolutely desperate. But why did you repeatedly come to me about leaving River City?

So, she came to me because she knew that complaining to Walter was utterly useless, hoping that I would give in?

Sure, it was more useful for her to go to Carley for help than to come to me. Could it be that Carley knew the child in her belly wasn't Walter's?

As I was pondering, my phone rang.

It was Dale's phone call.

I hadn't heard from Dale in a long time, so I was a bit surprised. After a moment of hesitation, I answered the call.

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Dale's voice came from the other end, "Mrs. Hinton, are you busy right now? Mrs. Carley Hinton asked me to take you to the old house."

I paused for a moment, then said into the phone, "I'm not too busy, but Dale, you don't need to pick me up. I'll come over myself after work."

There was a slight pause from Dale on the other end of the phone, then he said, "Carley wants you to come over now, I'm currently downstairs at the Conner Group building."