Selina finally realized why Joe’s words had sounded so familiar.
This was classic behavior from a spineless mama’s boy.
The kind of man who tells his wife: "My mother raised me, it wasn’t easy for her. You should treat her well."
When there’s tension between his mother and his wife, he never steps up—just smooths things over, always expecting the wife to back down.
That kind of man is suffocating enough in an average household. In a powerful family? It’s a disaster.
Selina couldn’t understand why her mother ever chose to be with someone like Joe. As far as she could see, Joe was not the kind of man a woman should trust with her future.
Whatever Grandma Morris said became law. Right or wrong didn’t matter—everyone had to follow her will.
Otherwise? You’d be labeled "unfilial."
But why?
Grandma Morris was the one who raised Joe. If anyone owed her anything, it was him. What did that have to do with his partner? Or with the daughter he abandoned?
Logan’s gaze turned colder.
Joe knew exactly what Grandma Morris had done—how she was still smearing Selina behind her back.
And yet here he was, telling Selina to "let it go" because "she’s your grandmother."
As if the whole world revolved around the Morris Family.
Joe’s face flushed bright red. He stumbled over his words and finally managed to croak, "I-I was with your mother..."
"Morris Chairman," Selina interrupted coldly, "you were right about one thing. Owen was the one who poisoned Amelia—but I was the one who made it a spectacle."
She paused, then added sharply:
"If the Morris Family doesn’t want to end up like the Perry Family—becoming the laughingstock of the city—then I suggest you stay out of my way."
Joe looked completely shaken, his eyes full of stunned betrayal.
"Selina... I’m your father. How could you treat me like this? Don’t you realize, without the Morris Family behind you, no one would respect you..."
Selina didn’t even look at him. She brushed past without a word.
Logan said coolly, "Jack, show him out."
Joe was escorted out of Pear Blossom Estate. Dazed and hollow, he returned to the Morris residence and collapsed into a chair.
Grandma Morris frowned. "What? She wouldn’t come back with you?"
Joe nodded, defeated.
"She’s part of the Morris Family," Grandma Morris snapped. "Where else does she think she’s going?"
She was furious. On a personal level, she didn’t want Selina back—after all, Selina was Victoria’s daughter.
But now the public was talking: that the Morris Family had sacrificed their own bloodline for Angelica, that they were cold, cruel, and morally bankrupt.
To protect the family’s image, Grandma Morris had reluctantly agreed to Joe’s request and offered to restore Selina’s status as the Morris heiress.
But Selina had refused to accept it.
She—Grandma Morris—had backed down, and Selina still wouldn’t play along? Who did this girl think she was?
And the longer Selina stayed away, the worse the damage to the Morris Family’s reputation.
Then Joe suddenly turned to her, hollow-eyed.
"Mom... Did you know Selina was being hunted four years ago? You’ve known about her all along. Why didn’t you tell me? She’s my daughter!"
Grandma Morris’s face darkened. "What, are you questioning me now? I had my reasons!"
"No, I just..." Joe shook his head, dejected. "She doesn’t want to come home..."
Before he could finish, the butler rushed in.
"Madam, Chairman—Brown Family just sent an invitation. Mr. and Mrs. Brown, the heads of Brown Group, are moving to City A and they’re hosting a welcome banquet."
Grandma Morris took the invitation.
Damien’s lips curled. "That’s exactly why I invited them."
The Morris Family liked to act like Selina was worthless without their name behind her, like she was just clinging to them.
He wanted Joe and Grandma Morris to see it with their own eyes: The daughter they dismissed is now loved and celebrated by a family far more powerful than theirs.
The Morris Family? Please. They were nothing.
Mrs. Brown agreed with Damien’s approach. After a moment’s thought, she said, "I heard the Morris Family is sending some girl from a branch family to the banquet... Ha! Are they seriously planning to show off at the event? Hoping Selina gets jealous and runs back to them?"
Honestly, she wasn’t far off.
Damien’s expression darkened with disgust. The Morris Family’s tactics were vile.
Joe claimed he wanted Selina back, but everything he did only pushed her further away.
No doubt, this plan had Grandma Morris written all over it.
Mrs. Brown paused and then said, "I’m going to bring out the heirloom jewelry set."
...
Back at Pear Blossom Estate—
Selina blinked in surprise. "Uncle Brown and his family moved to City A? And the invitation..."
She paused, then looked at Logan with amusement.
"Mr. Reid, can you believe the Browns didn’t invite you? How tragic. Practically everyone with a name in City A will be there. Isn’t that a little embarrassing?"
"Totally," Logan replied dryly, a hint of a smirk on his lips.
He had a good guess why the Browns hadn’t invited him.
"That’s why," Logan said with a soft chuckle, "Mrs. Reid—would you allow me to attend as your plus-one?"
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