Chapter 858

chapter858

Corley stared at him, his gaze unwavering.

Murray began to feel unnerved.

"Heh," Corley suddenly chuckled. "So you stuck around just to gloat."

Murray nodded, admitting it freely. "That's right.

"Since you were there, why didn't you stay for the whole show?"

Murray frowned. "What do you mean?"

"My grandparents and my mother had a complete falling out."

"So?" What did that have to do with him?

Corley sighed. "Didn't you know my mother was adopted by the Rodriguez family?" Murray froze.

"Roseanne and I have no blood relation," Corley said nonchalantly, taking a drag from his cigarette.

"Tch-" Murray sneered. "Blood or no blood, from the moment the old man announced Roseanne's identity on that stage, you became her cousin! The world won't care about the details. They'll only know you're both part of the Rodriguez family."

"I may have broken up with Roseanne, but we were together for years. I know her. With you as her cousin, even if it's just in name, she would never choose you."

"Corley, you're out of the game. Don't you get it?"

Murray's lips curled upwards, his eyes filled with challenge.

Corley's gaze turned icy. He stared for a long moment before a smile broke across his face. "If you know her so well, then you should know how much her family means to her. Even if we can't be together, I can still be in her life as family, a legitimate reason to care for her and protect her. As for you

"Even getting close is a fantasy."

"From the very beginning, the one who failed to see reality wasn't me. It was you, Murray."

Corley's words were a direct hit.

Murray trembled, his eyes turning bloodshot. "This isn't over. We'll see about that! he spat, turning on his heel and storming away..

He was the one who started the fight, despite never having won, and now he was the one retreating.

And Corley... he had won the argument, but he couldn't bring himself to smile. Meanwhile, Roseanne had returned to the Rodriguez estate with her parents.

Madge was exhausted. The moment she walked in, she started rubbing her legs Socializing is more draining than writing a book and these heels are killing me. From now on, I'm avoiding these events unless absolutely necessary..."

Norris Cole immediately knelt to massage her legs, agreeing wholeheartedly. "Exactly! We'll go to fewer of them. Come on, let's go

upstairs and you can tie down. I'll

give you a proper massage."

"Alright..."

The couple chatted as they headed upstairs, leaving Roseanne alone in the living room.

Roseanne ?

Suddenly, her phone rang.

Seeing the name on the screen, her expression softened.

"Hello, Professor?"

"Roseanne, congratulations."

"Thank you for coming today."

She had only sent personal invitations to Leda and Owen Reynolds.

Both had attended.

"You were... very beautiful today." The man on the other end sounded unaccustomed to giving compliments, his voice a little clumsy.

Roseanne paused, then a smile bloomed on her face. "Am I only beautiful today?" .....Huh? He froze, then quickly backpedaled. I I didn't mean it like that! I meant you were especially beautiful today. Ahem, of course, you're always beautiful..."

"Is that so?" she teased.

"Yes!" he answered, with complete sincerity.

Roseanne couldn't help but laugh.

On the other end of the line, Owen Reynolds scratched his head in embarrassment.

Once the holiday season passed, the winter break came to an end.

With the new semester about to start, Norris had to return to Pinehollow.

Madge, meanwhile, was planning a trip to Hong Kong with her agent, Stoner, to discuss international publishing rights for her books.

Although the old couple was

reluctant to see them go, they knew

their daughter and son-in-law had their own lives and careers, and they were used to living in Pinehollow. They couldn't stay in Lumina City forever.