Chapter 169

• Karla cut in sharply from her seat, her voice dripping venom as she rose halfway, eyes locked on Charlotte. "What do you mean by both, Eliot? Can't you see this marriage is based on money? Ten million to be Howard's wife—of course she demanded it. She's been here only for the Carters' fortune from the start, ever since the day she 'helped' Father. She plotted it all along!"
• She stood fully now, her tailored skirt swishing as she advanced toward Charlotte with slow, deliberate steps, each word a barb laced with years of resentment. Charlotte's hazel eyes flashed with restrained fire, her fists clenching at her sides—she ached to fire back, to defend her rebirth, her love, her sacrifices—but she held her tongue for Howard's sake, her lips pressed into a thin line, letting the storm break first.
• Karla stopped inches away, her manicured finger jabbing the air near Charlotte's chest. "You called me a gold digger. Called my daughter an outsider. And now look at you—crawling in for the money, just like I said!"