Chloe Grant, however, was no longer anxious. She began to comfort Yara Jarvis, "Mom, what are you so afraid of? Didn’t you say it yourself? We have a bargaining chip. As long as we hold onto it, Clara Grant won’t be able to turn this around."

"Besides, all they’ve done is announce their relationship. They’re not talking marriage yet. When we find the right moment to play our card, do you think the Quinn Family will still want a woman with an unknown background and such a low, despicable status as their daughter-in-law?"

"Even if Seth Quinn doesn’t mind, Uncle Quinn and Aunt Quinn would never approve. Besides, there’s still Autumn Shelby. Even though she jilted Seth Quinn, she had her hidden troubles. I think if she just explains herself to the Quinn Family, they’ll probably forgive her."

"When the time comes, and you compare her to Clara Grant, her status and disposition are leagues above Clara’s. It’s an obvious choice for the Quinns who to pick as their future matriarch. They aren’t stupid, are they?"

Yara Jarvis sank into thought for a moment before asking hesitantly, "You mean... we tell the Quinn Family that Clara Grant isn’t your father’s biological daughter? But your father said that this matter must never be known by outsiders. How could he possibly agree to us telling them?"

"That’s why we have to do it behind Dad’s back when we tell the Quinn Family."

"But, your dad will be furious with us," Yara Jarvis said, still hesitant.

"Mom, once the Quinn Family learns the truth and casts Clara Grant aside, she and Skylar Hayes will no longer be a threat to our position. Plus, I won’t have to be the one groveling before her when I eventually marry into the Quinn Family."

"Besides, if Clara Grant marries into the Quinn Family, my own chances of marrying Miles will be up in the air. So, what if Dad gets angry? He’ll only be mad for a little while. That’s much better than him giving us the cold shoulder for the rest of our lives, don’t you think?"

Hearing her daughter’s words, Yara Jarvis finally nodded.

A triumphant smile spread across Chloe Grant’s face. ’Clara Grant, you’re no match for me! You want to marry into the Quinn Family and become their precious daughter-in-law? I’ll make you the laughingstock of all Novaria instead!’

...

「Meanwhile, at the Shelby residence, it was also a restless night.」

Evan Shelby and Yvette Zimmerman were discussing and worrying about the same thing: Clara Grant and Seth Quinn’s relationship going public.

"Evan, do you think Seth Quinn really has no feelings left for our Autumn? Is he dead set on being with that Clara Grant? Otherwise, why would he publicize their relationship right after Autumn came back?" Yvette Zimmerman’s brow was tightly furrowed with worry.

’After all, Autumn is deeply in love with Seth Quinn. If he really were to marry another woman, how heartbroken would she be?’

Evan Shelby was also incredibly frustrated. He waved a hand dismissively and said impatiently, "How should I know? Autumn went to see Seth Quinn, but when she came back, she wouldn’t tell us anything. We have no idea what’s going on between them." 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

"However, from the looks of it, if Autumn wants to patch things up with Seth Quinn, it’s not going to be a smooth road."

At this, Evan Shelby recalled the incident from all those years ago and grew angry. "You tell me, if that whole mess hadn’t happened back then, would we even be sitting here worrying about this now? If Seth Quinn marries some other woman, who can we blame? It’s all her own damn fault!"

Seeing him get angry again, Yvette Zimmerman instinctively glanced upstairs. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that the door to their daughter’s room was shut tight, then turned to her husband. "There you go again. I’ve told you before, you can’t put all the blame on Autumn for what happened. Doesn’t Seth Quinn bear any responsibility?"

"Look at how lovey-dovey he is with this other woman now. What was he like when he was with Autumn? That’s why I say, for something like that to have happened back then, Seth Quinn had to be part of the blame!"

Downstairs, they argued. Upstairs, Autumn Shelby, fuming, hurled her phone against the wall. Even though she was working with Chloe Grant and was confident she could defeat Clara Grant, she still couldn’t accept that Seth Quinn would actually go public with his relationship with another woman.

Staring at the shattered remains of her phone, it took a long while before she began to feel a little calmer. After a moment’s thought, she picked up another phone from her desk and made a call.