?Chapter 1042:

Kathleen chuckled.

“If Kristopher ends up paralyzed, all his Norris family shares would naturally go to Aliza. With that kind of wealth, she could have any man she wanted. Even someone from the Morrison or Webster families wouldn’t be out of reach. Unicorns are rare, but eligible bachelors? They’re everywhere.”

To her surprise, Bernie didn’t praise her logic as he usually did. Instead, his expression darkened, and he asked coldly, “Is that really how you see it?”

Kathleen froze, instantly realizing he had taken her words personally. A flicker of panic crossed her face, but she quickly masked it with mock indignation. She gave his arm a yful push and said, “Oh, don’t be so sensitive at your age. Kristopher is nothing like us. Back when we got together, you were a penniless boy. What could I possibly have been after?”

She softened her tone, adding, “Sure, I might not have broken into Isonridge’s upper circles back then, but in a smaller city like Orkset, I could’ve easily married into a powerful family if that’s all I’d wanted.”

Seeing the tension rise between her parents, Aliza quickly jumped in on her mother’s side.

“Exactly, Dad. What are you talking about? If I inherit Kristopher’s assets, it benefits the Herrera family too. You could use that money to grow yourpany even further. When we return to the old estate, even those haughty rtives of ours would have to show you respect.”

As she spoke, she couldn’t help but picture her arrogant cousin— always condescending, always superior. But if she got her hands on Kristopher’s wealth, that cousin would be the one bowing and scraping.

Bernie’s expression gradually softened. He nced at Kathleen and took her hand.

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“I was just teasing. Don’t take it to heart.” He added warmly, “I’ll have my assistant order that pearl ne you liked. Consider it an early gift.”

With tensions diffused, Aliza seized the opportunity to steer the conversation back on track.

“Anyway, back to Carrie. You two went so far off topic, I almost forgot.” She leaned in, lowering her voice.

“I dropped a hint to Alethea about using Lise, but she didn’t bite. I don’t think she ns to take that route.”

Bernie frowned.

“Alethea’s just an adopted daughter. Anyone she tries to recruit would still fall under the Hinks family’s scrutiny. If she involved Lise and ended up crossing the Morrison family, the Hinks wouldn’t hesitate to cut her loose to protect themselves.”

He reached over and affectionately ruffled Aliza’s hair.

“Your idea of using someone else as a pawn isn’t wrong— but you’ve picked the wrong piece. Lise isn’t free to move; she still answers to someone else.”

Aliza didn’t argue. Instead, she nodded thoughtfully.

“Exactly, Dad. That’s why I n to stir the pot.”

She leaned back, eyes gleaming.

“From what Alethea said, the Morrison family doesn’t want Carrie to reconnect with her biological roots. They even went as far as having the DNA test tampered with.”

She smirked.

“The Hinks might not have as much influence as the Morrisons when ites to connections, but in terms of money? No one in Isonridge canpete with them. They’re a walking treasure chest. No matter how much the Morrison family dotes on Carrie, how long can they resist that kind of jackpot?”

Kathleen narrowed her eyes.

“So what’s your n?”

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