The Jilted Heiress' Return To The High Life

Chapter 1604:

Maddox sprawled lazily on the sofa, smoke curling from the cigarette dangling between his lips. He draped his arm over the backrest and fixed his gaze on the ceiling. “Your Astley family’s stance toward the Ford family seems rather ambiguous. Jayden holds an important post, and Jules has a distinguished military background. No good reason to look down on them, right?”

The Ford family couldn’t measure up to the Astley dynasty—that was true, but few families around the country could rival their standing.

“Is your mother, who cherishes Rachel above all others, truly willing to let her marry into the Ford family without a grand celebration?” Maddox propped himself up and flicked ash from the cigarette pinched between his fingers. “Didn’t you notice the girl was fighting back tears just now?”

Women’s tears unsettled him deeply, but forced smiles—those hollow masks of composure—he despised even more.

Franco bristled with displeasure. His niece—whom he had watched blossom from childhood—deserved better. Drawing a measured breath, he said, “Our Astley family has long prided itself on nobility and integrity, never stooping to curry favor with the powerful. When choosing a son-in-law, we value character above family lineage or social standing.”

no particular

your parents playing then?” Maddox’s brow furrowed as he struggled to untangle the threads of this family

his way. “What else could it be? They’re simply furious that the girl remains so stubborn, deaf to reason or counsel.” Back then, she had thrown herself headlong into discussing a marriage alliance

wed Jules, she had boldly declared, “Rest assured, marrying Jules is my decision alone. Whatever the outcome—fortune or misfortune—I’ll shoulder

flourished in her grandparents’ hearts, a sentiment

Lɒtєѕτ chɑρτєrs ιn g?l?ovє??.???

mouthful before idly rotating the crystal between his fingers. His

here shared a deeper history with Nate, understanding the layers beneath his

he treasured, rarely displaying his precious things

slowly to meet Franco’s questioning stare. Behind his elegant, aristocratic demeanor lurked a hint of casual indifference, reminiscent of

Amusement flickered in Franco’s eyes, thoughtful and knowing. “Your woman is hardly ordinary. She scaled twenty-six floors with nothing but her bare hands. Would