Chapter 252: Compensation.
Confronting Corrin Thatcher like this hadn’t been part of Freya’s plans.
However ... she simply couldn’t hold herself back anymore.
She had kept her composure all this while.
She had allowed him to trample over her again and again because she had been drowning in guilt and regret.
But that never meant she would remain the same forever.
Nor would she continue hiding beneath the shadows of her past while allowing someone else’s future to be destroyed in the process.
Looking straight into Corrin Thatcher’s eyes, she asked,
"Manager Thatcher, tell me ... can you really see through me that well? Are you truly seeing me lose to you all over again? Are you really that confident?"
Corrin Thatcher’s expression cracked.
The confidence he had been carrying faltered, and he instinctively took a step back away from her.
"Why wouldn’t I be confident?" he retorted. "Didn’t you see what happened just now? I—"
His words stopped midway when he saw the smile on Freya’s face deepen instead of waver.
"I saw everything. All of it. But from where I’m standing," Freya said calmly, "I can only advise you to keep your confidence in check. After all, failure isn’t nearly as embarrassing as overconfidence."
She then smiled faintly, looking at him as if giving him the chance to see through her for once at least.
But it was of no use. Not everyone had the capability.
Shaking her head internally, she said, "Don’t forget to consider that ff you lose face, how are you going to keep strutting around this company with your head held high?"
Her expression gradually turned serious, her eyes never leaving his.
Just then—
The elevator chimed.
The metallic doors slowly slid open.
Giving him one final look, Freya stepped inside.
Before the doors could close, she turned back once more, meeting Corrin’s eyes.
"You—"
"Corrin Thatcher," Freya interrupted coolly, "I don’t need to beg to know what your plans are. Unlike you, I’m confident that I can see through every one of your thoughts ... every one of your schemes."
She paused deliberately before continuing.
"If I’ve been letting you win, don’t give yourself all the credit."
"It was me ... who allowed you to win."
"And the day I decide to make you lose ..." her lips curved ever so slightly, "... you won’t be able to defeat me even if you were given seven lifetimes. So ... stop challenging me when you’re incapable of winning."
Corrin’s jaw tightened.
Before he could throw another word back at her, the elevator doors slid shut between them.
His fingers curled tightly into fists.
He refused to believe Freya’s words.
Yet somehow ...
He found himself unable to refute them either.
Only after the elevator had disappeared did he mutter through gritted teeth, "Freya Finn ... the one acting overconfident isn’t me. It’s you."
"If I could make you lose all these years, what makes you think this time will be any different? You’ll lose ... and keep losing."
"Forever."
Inside the elevator—
Even after the doors closed, Freya’s expression didn’t soften.
She stood there silently, her posture stiff, every emotion written plainly across her face.
What she had just told Corrin wasn’t born from arrogance or blind confidence.
She was simply confident ...
Confident in herself.
Confident that she would never allow Adelyn to be placed at a disadvantage. Not at least under her watch.
Over the years, Corrin might have snatched away every outstanding artiste she had discovered. He might have taken all the credit that should have belonged to her.
But that had never been because he was more capable.
It was because she had allowed it to happen.
This time ...
With Adelyn ...
She would never allow him to do the same.
Her past trauma still lingered.
The darkness of guilt and regret still haunted her.
But she would never allow those shadows of her past to ruin Adelyn’s future.
History belonged in the past.
It wasn’t meant to be repeated.
Not with Adelyn.
——————————————————
Meanwhile—
After finishing her practice at the training grounds, Adelyn didn’t return to Sanctuary Heights.
Instead, she contacted the lawyer whose information Nigel had sent her and headed straight to his law firm.
Outside the building, she stopped and made a quick call to let them know she had arrived.
Soon, someone came downstairs to receive her.
Following him inside, Adelyn didn’t waste time looking around.
She simply walked to the office she was led to before stepping inside.
Behind the desk, there sat a man with his hair neatly combed-back —looking every bit as refined and composed as one would expect from a lawyer.
"Mr Jonson," Adelyn greeted politely.
The man lifted his eyes to look up at her. For a brief second, he paused. A flicker of recognition flashed across his eyes.
However, before it could become obvious, he dismissed that look from his face altogether.
"You must be Ms Grace," he said.
Adelyn nodded before giving him a small, polite smile.
"Yes ... I’m the one who contacted you earlier."
"Right, Ms. Grace." He nodded acknowledging before gesturing toward the chair opposite his desk. "Please ... have a seat. Then we can discuss everything."
Adelyn walked over and quietly took her seat.
Once she had settled down, she didn’t waste another second. She explained everything from beginning to end before finally saying,
"So, Mr. Jonson ... that’s my situation." She paused briefly, adding, "I’d like your help in drafting a letter of severance. Can you do that?"
Lawyer Jonson listened to her attentively before nodding in understanding ...
"Drafting the letter wouldn’t be a problem," he replied after a moment of thought. "I can have it prepared without much difficulty. Anyone in the firm could do that."
He paused before looking at her carefully. "But I want to ask you something, Ms. Grace."
Adelyn frowned slightly.
Seeing her confusion, he elaborated, "What I mean is... is that truly all you want?"
"Even though you’re adopted, you’ve still legally been part of the Scott family all these years."
"If you wish, you can also seek compensation."
He folded his hands neatly over the desk.
"I can help you with that as well."
"And legally speaking ... the Scotts wouldn’t be able to refuse."
Compensation ...
Adelyn fell into a quiet thought.
Did she want that?
