Index: scribus/pageitem_textframe.cpp
===================================================================
--- scribus/pageitem_textframe.cpp	(revision 27773)
+++ scribus/pageitem_textframe.cpp	(working copy)
@@ -4670,7 +4670,11 @@
 		}
 		//check if cursor need to jump to next linked frame
 		//but not for notes frames can`t be updated as may disappear during update
-		if ((itemText.cursorPosition() > lastInFrame() + 1) && (lastInFrame() < (itemText.length() - 2)) && m_nextBox != nullptr)
+		// Only relevant when this key actually inserted/deleted text (doUpdate) -
+		// a bare modifier key (e.g. Ctrl, on its way to Ctrl+C) reaches this same
+		// default: case with an unchanged cursor position and no edit at all, and
+		// must not clear an existing cross-frame selection or move focus away.
+		if (doUpdate && (itemText.cursorPosition() > lastInFrame() + 1) && (lastInFrame() < (itemText.length() - 2)) && m_nextBox != nullptr)
 		{
 			view->deselectItems(true);
 			m_nextBox->update();