Chapter 563:

Jeffery gently wiped the tears from her face, his expression hardening. “Carol, why did you invite Linsey? From what I know, she doesn’t come from any notable family in town.”

Carol’s expression stiffened for a moment before she cast her gaze downward, hiding the flicker of unease in her eyes.

She spoke softly. “Jeffery, do you remember the day I visited CR Corporation to meet Mr. Riley?”

Jeffery gave a small nod. “Yes, I remember.”

Sensing her mood, he decided against reminding her to keep her distance from Collin.

Carol continued, her tone carrying a trace of grievance. “Just as I was about to leave, Linsey stopped me. She told me I wasn’t good enough for him—that only she had the right to be by his side.”

Jeffery’s expression darkened immediately. “What did you just say?”

Carol glanced at him, her delicate features showing just the right amount of vulnerability.

No one—not even Alexa—knew the truth about Linsey’s husband being the actual founder of CR Corporation.

Alexa had always assumed Linsey was simply trying to get close to Mr. Riley, and Carol was certain Jeffery believed the same. That gave her the perfect opportunity to twist the truth.

“Jeffery, you warned me before that Mr. Riley was already married. I admit I have feelings for him, but I would never interfere in someone’s marriage. So, I told Linsey exactly that.” She spoke gently, choosing her words with care to sound completely sincere. “But to my surprise, Linsey said she already knew—and that it didn’t matter. She was determined to stay close to him anyway.”

Jeffery’s jaw tightened, his opinion of Linsey sinking even further. “Then why did you still invite her?”

Carol bit her lip before pouting slightly. “She brought it up in front of Mr. Riley. I couldn’t exactly reject her outright…”

ga𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀.k𝗈n – 𝑅𝑒𝒶𝒍 𝓈𝒸𝓇𝒾𝓅𝓉 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝒶𝓉

She glanced at Jeffery again, her voice soft and pitiful. “We’re working with CR Corporation. I didn’t want to cause any trouble for you.”

Jeffery hadn’t expected this turn of events. With a sigh, he took Carol’s hand, his expression serious. “Carol, don’t think like that. Our…

“Partnership with CR Corporation is primarily to find a cure for your heart condition. If you were mistreated because of this…” He trailed off.

The deal with CR Corporation represented a major opportunity for Lawson Group, and withdrawing now would incur serious financial consequences. The penalty alone was a staggering amount—one they could not afford.

Unaware of his hesitation, Carol adopted a gentle, understanding tone. “Jeffery, don’t worry about me. Just focus on your work. I don’t want to dwell on what happened tonight.”

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