CHAPTER 509: DON’T ASK ME TO COME BACK

Selina narrowed her eyes.

Joe’s gaze darted away, his face full of guilt, panic, and shame. Hannah, looking sorrowful, forced a faint smile. "Selina."

Grandma Morris’s expression twisted with rage. "Selina, if you hadn’t caused trouble today, I could’ve kept this hidden for Victoria’s sake! But now I can’t hold it in any longer. I’m going to teach you a lesson—and make things right for Hannah!"

Hannah put on a show of dissuasion. "Mom, let it go..."

"Enough!" Grandma Morris barked. "Selina, didn’t you demand to know why Hannah’s name was on Victoria’s design drafts? Because they were Hannah’s to begin with! It was your shameless mother who, over twenty years ago, stole those designs from Hannah!"

"Twenty years ago, Hannah didn’t make a fuss. She even endured it quietly to protect your mother’s reputation. What—did you think that just because your mother kept them for more than two decades, they somehow became hers? Today, I’m taking back what belongs to Hannah!"

Selina’s heart sank, her face turning icy.

She had seen people twist the truth before, but never had she seen someone as brazen as Grandma Morris—flipping reality completely upside down. Was it simply because her mother was gone and couldn’t speak for herself?

Plagiarize Hannah? The truth was Hannah had stolen her mother’s entire life—yet here she stood, a thief crying delicate tears as if she were the wronged party. Meanwhile, the real victim couldn’t rest in peace, condemned and slandered even in death.

Hannah spoke softly, her voice trembling with feigned emotion, yet tinged with false magnanimity. "Forget it. I know Selina will never believe me. Mom, don’t be so harsh on her..."

"Oh, she doesn’t believe you? So just because she doesn’t believe you, she can throw the entire Morris family into chaos? She doesn’t believe you, so she can ruin this cooperation without a second thought?"

Grandma Morris, flanked by Morris Group’s shareholders, glared down at Selina. "If you don’t believe us, why not ask Joe? Selina, it’s not just me—my son’s devotion to Victoria is known to the whole world. Even if I lied about her, he never would!"

Joe kept his head low. When his eyes met Selina’s, they flickered with guilt and helplessness, but he was every bit the cowardly mama’s boy hiding behind Grandma Morris. His voice was small and timid:

"It... it was Victoria who did wrong, Selina. I... I don’t blame your mother. She just had a moment of weakness back then. But now that the truth is out, we should return the honor to Hannah. Don’t you agree?"

Everyone else was stunned.

Joe had never remarried in twenty years for Victoria’s sake. When people spoke of Mrs. Morris, Victoria’s name was the first to come to mind.

He was so "devoted"—surely he wouldn’t smear his late wife just for profit.

So... Victoria was the plagiarist all along?! The revelation was earth-shattering.

Grandma Morris sneered down at her. "Now that you know the truth, are you still going to make a scene? In fact, why don’t you apologize to Hannah on Victoria’s behalf, and I’ll pretend none of this ever happened?"

Joe mumbled in a low voice, "Y-yes... you should apologize. Selina, I will never harm you. Your mother... she’s already..."

—Your mother’s already dead. As long as I loved her, her reputation shouldn’t matter.

—Your mother’s already dead. Even if she’s slandered and mocked, she’ll never know.

—Your mother’s already dead. So what if the Morris family uses her designs?

Several Morris Group shareholders jumped in at once. "Madam, you’ve suffered so much. Who knew the truth was like this? If Selina hadn’t stirred things up, we’d have never known how long you’ve endured this grievance."

"Miss Clark only meant well, but it backfired!"

"Miss Clark kept calling Mrs. Hill a thief, but it turns out Victoria was the thief. If you ask me, you should stop being stubborn and apologize quickly."

Joe, feeling overwhelmed with guilt under Grandma Morris’s watchful gaze, just wanted to end this farce as quickly as possible. "Yeah, Selina, just apologize... You... you’re being too impulsive..."

Selina let out a faint laugh.

Apologize?

She didn’t speak for one minute.

Two minutes.

The faces of the Morris family members grew darker and darker.

Just as Grandma Morris was about to lose her patience and lash out, Selina suddenly lifted her gaze.

"Then I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint you all. I will not take the blame for my mother, and I will certainly not apologize!"

Her words were like a stone thrown into still water, sending massive ripples through the crowd.

Grandma Morris gasped, her voice sharp with outrage. "What did you just say?!"

"If Grandma Morris didn’t hear clearly because of her age, I can repeat it for you. I said—"

Selina enunciated each word, her voice firm and resonant. Alone against the entirety of Morris Group, she showed not a shred of fear:

"I said—I. Will. Not. Apologize."

The room fell silent.

Grandma Morris’s face darkened. "I’ll give you one last chance..."

"If I’ve done nothing wrong, why should I admit to a mistake? Old woman, do you think you can decide right and wrong by sheer force of power? If Morris Family denies the truth, I’ll keep pursuing it in court!"

"Selina!" Grandma Morris roared, as if Selina were not her granddaughter but her sworn enemy. "Fine! Fine! If you won’t apologize, then get out—get out of here!"

Gasps rippled through the crowd.

This Morris family heiress was clearly not welcome here.

Selina gave a cold smile. "Fine. I stand by my claim that these designs are my mother’s work. But since the Morris family is throwing me out, I’ll leave."

Grandma Morris was satisfied, a victorious smile just starting to form—when Selina’s next words landed.

"But once I walk out this door, I will never come back."

"Even if you beg me in person, I won’t set foot here again. Good luck to you."

Joe froze for two seconds, and Grandma Morris immediately erupted into curses. "What does she mean by that? What is that wretch implying? Threatening me? Who does Selina think she is to threaten me? Get out! Get out and never come back!"

To everyone’s surprise, Selina did exactly that—without a backward glance, she was gone from sight in less than thirty seconds.

The room was left stunned.

Some shook their heads. "Miss Clark is too young. What good is it to burn bridges with the Morris family..."

"Ah, youth and hot tempers. Right now, the Morris family has a partnership with Turner Group. If Selina walks away like this, she might lose her inheritance entirely."

"This wasn’t even her fault, but to keep pressing after learning the truth... it’s unwise."

"She’s ridiculous, saying she’d never return even if Grandma Morris begged her—like Grandma Morris would ever beg her. She thinks she’s that important?"

"Young people just don’t understand their place."

...

As Selina stepped out the door, she ran right into Logan.

Surprised, she said, "Why are you back again? What a coincidence—I just finished making a scene."

Logan couldn’t help but let out a low chuckle. "Not a coincidence, Mrs. Reid."

His gaze was warm as he said, "I’ve been waiting for you this whole time."

Selina was about to ask why he’d been waiting for her, when Logan spoke again.

"I know the Morris family will be begging you to come back soon enough—but right now, in this moment, you’ve been wronged."

Selina’s heart gave a fierce, sudden thump.