A smile never left Ashley Bowen's face. Her regal aura made Joan Shaw feel inadequate in comparison.
"Your Highness, you knew Abby Thorne was intentionally trying to frame me. Why did you help her instead of exposing her?" 'If Miles Xavier had just searched her bag, she would've been exposed immediately.'
"Of course I knew she was framing you on purpose. But if she had been exposed right then and there, the Thorne family would have lost face. Today is Howard's birthday. I don't want his party to be tarnished by unpleasant memories, much less have the Thorne family get into a conflict with anyone here. Do you understand? Winning every single argument isn't the only way to resolve things. Sometimes, forgiveness is a virtue."
"I... understand," Joan Shaw replied softly, her face turning red at Ashley Bowen's words.
