Chapter 290
Joyce stood rooted to the spot, watching as her parents walked away, her expression grim.
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Her cheek was red and swollen. The spot where Marina had slapped her still ached, and now Debby had landed another slap. making her whole face burn.
Howard just stood quietly off to the side, watching like he was nothing more than a bystander, as if none of this had anything to do with him.
Joyce took a deep breath, her eyes narrowing as she glared at Howard.
“Howard, fine, you don’t want to help me. But why do you have to throw me under the bus?” she snapped.
If Howard hadn’t brought up the whole thing about Leo in front of Wilbur, he wouldn’t be so disappointed in her right now.
Howard listened to Joyce’s accusations, his face completely calm. He looked at her with the gentle air of an older brother.
“How am I hurting you? I just don’t want you dragged into the fight between Daron and Harris.
“Besides, Dad keeping you at home to reflect is actually for your own good.
“You’ve been back with the Milner Family for five years now. You should’ve picked up on the rules of this circle by now, but it seems you still don’t get how things work. It’s survival of the fittest, so if that’s the case, you need to step aside and let Allison take your place.”
Joyce’s head snapped up, her eyes locking onto Howard.
Howard’s expression stayed the same, still wearing that gentle smile on his lips.
Joyce’s brows knitted together.
“You did this on purpose,” she said.
Joyce, always sensitive about family, instantly realized Howard had ratted her out to Wilbur today, all just to get Allison Milner back in the family.
Otherwise, there was no real grudge between them, so why would Howard make Wilbur and Debby disappointed in her for
no reason?
Howard looked at Joyce, a faint smile tugging at his lips as he spoke in a calm voice.
“Wrong guess. I didn’t do it on purpose,” he said.
“You’re still a rookie at this. You really need more practice, or you’ll get booted from this circle sooner or later.”
“You don’t have Elnora’s skills, and you’re not as lucky as Marina. She’s got someone to watch her back. If you want to survive here, you’d better work a lot harder.”
With that, Howard turned to leave.
But Joyce suddenly grabbed his arm.
“Don’t think bringing Allison back to the Milner Family is going to scare me. No matter what, I’m still the only heiress here. Allison? She’s just a nobody with no real connection to us,” Joyce scoffed.
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Chapter 290
“If I can’t have something, then there’s no way she’ll ever get her hands on it either,” she spat.
Howard nodded, his voice still calm.
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“That’s true, but you’re forgetting something. At the end of the day, it’s Dad and Mom’s opinion that decides everything,” he said.
“Right now, they’re the ones calling the shots.
“You think I’m really targeting you? I’m just following what Dad and Mom want. If anyone’s using this as an excuse to stir things up, it’s not me.”
As he spoke, Howard calmly pried Joyce’s hand off his arm.
Joyce stood there in a daze, unable to quite make sense of what Howard really meant.
Lately Wilbur and Debby had been seriously displeased with her.
She couldn’t even remember how many times she’d heard them bring up Allison’s name.
For years now, the marriage talks between the Milner and Zamora families had been completely stalled.
And with Oscar Milner, who’d always cared so much about bloodlines, even he seemed to be loosening up this year. Of course Wilbur and Debby would jump at the chance to bring Allison back now.
Howard was just trying to win over Wilbur and Debby, so he handed her mistakes straight to them.
Joyce’s expression turned ugly as the realization hit her.
She turned to Howard, speaking in a low, serious voice.
“Howard, you’re right. Dad and Mom care so much about Allison, but how can you be sure that bringing her back won’t put your claim to the inheritance at risk?” Joyce said.
‘After all, Allison was raised by my parents. They’ve always treated her like the one they were grooming to be the heir,” she added.
Howard hadn’t expected Joyce to figure it out so quickly.
A faint smile tugged at his lips, but he didn’t let a hint of his true feelings show as he spoke softly.
“Joyce, Allison has no blood ties to the Milner Family,” he said.
“Dad isn’t that foolish, and Grandpa would never let him be.
“You’re the only one who’s ever had to fight on your own in this family.”
With that, Howard walked away, leaving Joyce with nothing but his unforgiving silhouette.
Joyce took a deep breath, reaching out to the wall for support, her face ghostly pale.
Howard was right. She really was the only one fighting for herself in this family.
Allison had Wilbur and Debby’s affection, and Howard had Oscar in his corner.
There was hardly anyone left in her corner.
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Chapter 290
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Joyce clenched her fists so hard her nails bit into her palms. ‘No way am I letting Allison back into the Milner Family and live the good life, she thought fiercely. And I’ll be damned if I let her mess with my place in this house again.”
After Howard left the living room, he paused in the courtyard and glanced back inside. There was Joyce, leaning against the wall, her eyes practically dripping with venom.
A faint smile tugged at his lips.
Wilbur might have named Howard the successor, but he never actually gave him any real authority.
Howard knew what his father was really thinking.
Allison might not be their biological daughter, but after all these years together, they were really close.
Allison had spent the past few years overseas, studying business and finance.
It was hard not to think Wilbur was setting everything up for her.
They spent over twenty years raising Allison, but when Joyce came back to the Milner Family, she was all sharp edges and calculating. Debby never liked her, not even a little.
Even if they tried to fix things later, they couldn’t just undo twenty years of habits.
They’d put so much into Allison that dropping her now would be a huge sunk cost. So even though Oscar shipped Allison off overseas and banned her from coming back, Wilbur and Debby never stopped keeping in touch.
Wilbur never really trusted Howard, not deep down.
He couldn’t openly make a move against Allison himself, but Joyce was free to do so.
Wilbur and Debby barely paid Joyce any attention over the years, always holding her up against Allison.
Allison had developed a serious psychological disorder.
Howard had read her medical report. When it came to dealing with Allison, Joyce was the best weapon he could use. »
Joyce always had it out for Allison from the start.
Howard just had to nudge her in the right direction, and he could take out a threat without getting his own hands dirty.
Howard tore his gaze away from Joyce, then looked around the old Milner estate, a cold smirk playing on his lips.
‘Everything my father lost back then, I’m going to get it all back, he promised himself.
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